Richard made the admission as he visited the factory of iconic British car brand Morgan, based in Malvern, Worcestershire. 

He said: "But I think there's no doubt the future will encompass every single option. It won't be only electric, it won't only be internal combustion.

"It will be all manner of things and it's going to be exciting and great. This [Morgan Supersport] will be part of it."

Morgan was unveiling the new £85,000 Supersport model which will still be petrol-powered. However, the move bucks the trend of manufacturers turning their attention solely to producing electric machines.

Matthew Hole, managing director of Morgan, said he would continue designing petrol cars well into the future if Government legislation allowed.

He commented: "We believe our customers tell us that they want an internal combustion engine Morgan.

"We do it in an incredibly sustainable way, I think. So, for as long as we can, we will. But we do have one eye on the future, and eventually, we will have an electric Morgan."

Morgan is not the first manufacturer to have a similar viewpoint, with Mercedes and Aston Martin among those still committed to petrol and diesel - at least for the time being.