Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 How can you tell?

Since MMC started manufacturing the 5 speeder how does one know what number the particular one they have is in the list? Number 10 or number 1,000, I looked under the right seat and that number seems way to large. What is the number in the sequence of manufacturing?

On mine, under the right front seat, stamped into the angle iron rail at the front of the seat edge is "M3W 458" indicating the 458th built. Those three digits also are the last 3 of the VIN.

What do you have stamped in that area? What are the last 4 digits of your VIN?

Also, in the wooden surround of the rear boot area, there is likely a body number stamped. Mine is #498, an interesting mismatch. Studying the Register post just adds to the confusion as the numbers get rather wonky with some of the newer machines.

It might be helpful if the Register post had clear instructions on where to find relevant numbers and which ones to add to the post.

Edit: those directions were there in earlier posts, but look to have been omitted on the most recent. I've just added them back in.

Thanks Steve,
I knew about the register number but was unclear as to their meaning in the grand scheme of things.

Last 4 of VIN = 2012


Fame Number =

interesting as the last 4 of my VIN is 2016 and you received your M3W about 6 months LATER than mine. Makes you wonder if they have a stash of frames and just pick one out of the pile

Maybe they found mine under a pile of rubbish and said to themselves, “hey, look what I just found” and used it.

Either an organizational example or the VIN has nothing to do with the build number.

looking at the way Morgan builds their vehicles, I would think they simply have a pile of frames and then assemble taking one out of the pile.

It is interesting as I have an '86 Honda GL1200 which I bought new in '88. In '88 Honda came out with the GL1500 and were "closing out" the 1200's. When I repointed the bike, I found 4 different paint schemes under various parts (one part with two underneath), but it was also clear ALL of the parts had a match with the top colour. It appeared that in 1988 Honda was piecing together '86 and '87 1200s from PARTS in the parts bins, top coating, and selling them based upon the frame manufacturing date.

That does make sense, but you would think that they put the frames in order of manufacture so they could go to a frame and know if it needed to be modified. Just grabbing them out of a pile would mean they are not using them in order and that really baffles me.

Then this number plate has a number that is closer I would believe.

The Trads are not built in chassis number order, and the bodies are not use in body number order either.

The Build Number is "the sequence", and they all have build numbers. On the trads this number is stamped on the wings, and on the Build Book, and stencilled on the hood.

I haven't looked closely at the M3W but I expect the build number will be around somewhere....

E11*2002/24*1299* is the type approval number for Morgan 3 Wheeler.

As far as I know, all 3 wheelers have three numbers:

1 - chassis number, stamped in the chassis by its manufacturer (Premier Group - Coventry)

2 - ash frame number, stamped by MMC

3 - VIN number, stamped in the stainless steel ID plate / given by MMC.

So it's normal to have three different numbers at sight, but for legal purposes the VIN is the winner.

Regards