National Motorcycle Museum, UK (September 2003) Page 2 of 3.
3-wheelers at the National Motorcycle Museum, UK (August 2003).
1902 Century Forecar 6 1/2 H.P.
Unique features of this forecar is the steering by right and left side handlevers like some present day track laying vehicles. The rider - driver certainly had his hands full because throttle and fuel mixture control was by long vertical levers in front of him and then there was a handbrake as well! With his hands occupied it was fortunate that the warning device was not the usual bulb horn but a large bell under the floor board operated by a foot pedal!.
1904 Garrard Forecar 500cc
The February 2nd issue of “The Motor Cycle” in 1904 carried an editoral leaderette wishing success to Mr C.E. Garrard with his designs for a passenger vehicle embodying “improvements which have been suggested many times in this pages”. Circa 1904 a number of firms were making this type of machine which seemed to be enjoying a spell of popularity before passengers became wary of sitting next to the accident.
Manufacturer: The Garrard Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Magneto Works Birmingham. (UK)
1898 Dennis “Speed King” Motor Tricycle
The Dennis Brothers of Guilford is today synonymous with Dennis trucks, fire engines and other public vehicles but in the last few years of the previous century they were makers of pedal cycles experimenting with the new challange of motorized transport. In 1898 they settled for making a motor tricycle to the successful pattern of the French De Dion.
1904 Riley 4 1/2 H.P Watercooled Forecar.
“As old as the industry” was the slogan adopted by the Riley company soon after the switched from making pedal cycles, motor tricycles, motorcycles and cyclecars to full scale cars in 1912. Like most forecars of the period the passenger seat is sprung in relation to the rigid chassis on leaf springs in horse carriage and baby carriage style.
“King of Little Cars” boasted the Rex Motor Company of Coventry of this strange vehicle, perhaps the most successful crop of forecars that flourished in the early 1900’s. The Rex firm, established in 1902, had led the field in early motorcycles, their machines breaking sales and road endurance records so the boast on their badge “The King of British Motors” had some justification apart from the name of the machine.
