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Cyclecar

Cyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and 1923.

General description

Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or four cylinder engines, or sometimes motorcycle engines. Several motorcycle-derived components were used. Cyclecars were half way between motorcycles and cars, some historians say. Bodies were lightweight, sometimes in a tandem two-seater configuration. They used various layouts and means of transmitting the engine power to the wheels, such as belt drive or chain drive. Some cyclecars were primitive and offered minimal comfort.

The rise of cyclecars was a direct result of taxation for the registration on cars, because taxation was based on displacement of the engine and weight of the car.

The cyclecars appear

From 1898 to 1910, automobile production quickly expanded. Light cars of that era were commonly known as voiturettes. Cyclecars appeared around 1910. The cyclecar boom began shortly before the outbreak of World War I. The first successful cyclecars were Bédélia of France and G.N. from Britain.

Sporting cars and cyclecar races

There were sporting cyclecars such as Amilcar, Major or Salmson of France.

There were also races dedicated for cyclecars with the first event of this kind organised by the Automobile Club de France in 1913. Memories preserve the Cyclecar GP at Le Mans in 1920. Until the late 1920's, there were races for cyclecars and voiturettes.

The decline of cyclecars

By the early 1920's the days of the cyclecar were numbered. Mass producers, such as Ford, were the extremely successful competitors. The answer of Henry Ford to cyclecars was simple: he introduced a scaled down Model T to bring the price of new Ford cars closer to the price of cyclecars. Similar affordable cars were offered in Europe such as Citroën, Austin 7 or Morris Cowley. The cyclecar boom was over.

The majority of cyclecar manufacturers closed down. Some companies survived, such as Chater-Lea which returned to the manufacture of motorcycles.

After World War II, small, tiny cars were again in demand, but this time they were called microcars by enthusiasts and bubble cars by the general population.

Cyclecars by countries

A 1914 Twombly cyclecar.

Austria

• Grofri

Belgium

• SCH

Canada

• Dart Cycle Car Co
• Glen Motor Company
• Gramm

Czechoslovakia

• Vaja

France

Germany

Arimofa
Koco
Pluto
Spinell

Italy

Amilcar Italiana
Anzani

Spain

Alvarez
David
Izaro
JBR
Salvador

Sweden

• Self

United Kingdom

United States

See also

• List of automobile manufacturers

Books

• 'From Cyclecar to Microcar - The Story of the Cyclecar Movement' Author - Michael Worthington-Williams. Publisher Beaulieu Books 1981
• 'Minimal Motoring - From Cyclecar to Microcar' Author - David Thirlby. Publisher Tempus Publishing Ltd ISBN 0752423673 2002.

External links

• http://canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/cyclecars.htm
• http://morgan3w.de/rivals/rivals.htm

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