Morgan 3 Wheeler due this year

The Morgan 3 Wheeler is into the final stage of certification and should be set for deliveries before Christmas with a pricetag below $70,000.

More than 300 people are keen to get a car and the number is expected to rise following the car's first official appearance - in classic British Racing Green - at the Australian Grand Prix meeting in Melbourne.

"The car we brought to the AGP is built to comply with the Australian Design Rules and we're hoping for smooth sailing from here. We hope to have the certification done by June," the head of Morgan Cars Australia, Chris van Wyk, tells Carsguide.

"We have spent the last two years working on ADR compliance issues and we think we have done all the hard work. We've had to comply with three different crash tests, different steering, higher rollover hoops, headrests and meeting the ADR noise test.

"The car is with our compliance engineer this week and he will go through it with the proverbial fine-tooth comb. Once he is satisfied we will apply for inspection by the officials from Canberra."

Van Wyk says Morgan will build Australia's first cars in the second half of the year and he hopes to have cars with customers around September.

"The response to the 3 Wheeler has been quite unprecedented in our experience. We currently have over 300 expressions of interest. I have no idea how many will actually turn into orders, as this is new territory for us."

The 3 Wheeler is a re-invention of a 1920s Morgan, powered by a front-mounted twin-cylinder motorcycle engine powering the single rear wheel, with steering to the front wheels. It's been selling strongly in Europe since last year with most owners customising their cars - some with livery that is modelled on the fighter planes of World War 1.