"Shy Tot" - Scratch-Built Morgan Three-Wheeler - My Car

While this might have the three-wheel layout you’d associate with a Morgan, it’s not one. Nor is it a product of any other purveyor of three-wheeled cars. 

What it is, is “a 90mph killing machine” made by Kevin Fitzharris.

“It’s something I built from scratch - so it’s a reimagination of a 1930s Morgan three-wheeler”, says Kevin. “I did all the bodywork and chassis. The engine is from a Citroen 2CV, which is only 30bhp but the whole car only weighs 298 kilos - so with its power to weight ratio, it’s a 90mph killing machine”.

For context, the 2CV’s kerb weight is around 600kg - roughly double that of Kevin’s machine. The Morgan Super 3 - the lightest car produced by the company - is well over double the weight at 635 kilos dry. And with just one wheel receiving all of that power, it’s not for the faint of heart.

“It’s on cross-ply tyres, which are new but have the vintage look,” Kevin told us. “They don’t have as much grip as the modern radials, so you have to be aware of wet conditions and white lines. It kind of tramlines on that, so you can have the back end out but it’s easy to correct.

“So you have to totally concentrate when you’re driving it, which is what I like about it. I have other cars and modern cars, but this is like a three-wheeler motorcycle so you have to really pay attention”.

And attention is definitely something that this car demands - not just from its driver, but from anyone who sees it. “It’s a bit of a handful on the motorway, but that’s mainly because people want to take photographs of it, and you’re so small that they can run over you.

“If you’re doing a trip and go to the services to fill up or go to the toilet, I’ve learned to always go to the toilet first as lots of people want to ask questions. I’m happy with that, but you can be there 20 minutes.

“People are generally very nice, very respectful, ask if they can take photographs or sit in it, which I’m happy to let them do as you can’t break it”.

This uniqueness is something that understandably comes with creating a car yourself, and while it might be based on a 1930s Morgan, Kevin has undoubtedly put his own mark on it.

“You won’t see another. People have built their own, and they’re all slightly different because you use what you can find.

“I like collecting little bits of brass vintage pieces to just put on it. The nose cone on this is the top half of a copper immersion heater. So it looks vintage, but it’s from a heating system”.

He’s worked a familial tie in with this car too: “I used to do factory tours for Morgan when I retired, and I liked the layout of them. I just like the vintage aviation-type look - my grandfather was a Spitfire pilot, so that’s the Supermarine Spitfire denomination of his squadron. So I built it in honour of him really”.

You can definitely see those aviation influences - from the RAF denomination on the sides, to the pin-up art on the side, to the flying teddy in the cockpit, and even a little propeller affixed to the front. Kevin himself wears a flying cap and goggles to drive his vehicle, and his twirled moustache and goatee really complete the look of a Spitfire for the road.

As for why he drives it? As with a lot of people we’ve spoken to, there’s a common reason - fun.

“You feel alive when you drive it, even [when the weather is cold and wet].

“I never put my cars away for winter. I’m 75 - you never know how long you’ve got to go, whether the government chases them off the road or if you get ill. I gave up motorcycling six years ago because I found it quite dangerous. There’s too many speed cameras too - you can have just as much fun in this at 50mph than 110mph in a fast car.

“If I bring this [to a car meet], and there’s Lamborghinis and Porsches, everybody’ll come and have a look at this, which really upsets them.

“I’ve had lots of Porsches and I love them to bits, but this stands me at £6,000. What could you build for that?”.