Let's Talk Cyclecars

Welcome Renauric, you are very lucky to have a family owned car that is owned that long.

 

Bond. Wellington NZ 1950

 

NZ 1913 Alldays & Onions Midget - Light Car.

 

Don't I know it! I restored it during the last two years with that in mind. A very good incentive indeed knowing there's about two dozens left now of probably around 200 or so built in the 20's & 30's.
My father was very fond of that cyclecar which was his only car before WWII. He commuted frequently with my mother from Paris to Brittany (400 miles) driving it fiercely as it is able to do around 70 mph; not bad in the 30's!
In 1940 he dismantled it in order to save if from requisition by the german army which would take everything with wheels.
We restored it already in 1969 and raced it in 69/70 at the Autodrome de Montlhéry near Paris for the "Coupes de l'Age d'Or". He was proud that I won the three-wheelers race with it in 70.
Very sadly the car was robbed in our workshop in 1989 and only reappeared in november 2014 300 miles away. I jumped in my car with a trailer and brought it home. I began dismantling it the next day and I was in it's restoration since. Photos above were taken last week. First running since the 70's.

 

One last blurb about the 2 "Dorcas" machines (for posterity).

http://www.bsafwdc.co.uk/page94.php

 

Shelsley, 1936:
(these are quite good scans, download and zoom them, if they prove difficult to read)

 

From Club5A

 

From Chateau Impney Hillclimb

 

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John,​

Thank you on all information - that would be enough for this Forum and I could search further...
Ciao,
Zoran

 

The driver,Kuzia,walked away with only a shoulder injury.

 

VSCC ( http://www.vscc.co.uk/ ) Caldwell Park Race Meeting

 

FN - sadly a restorer got hold of it

 

Another Caldwell Park image from the VSCC.

 

Look at what they did with the right cyl. Intake and exhaust reversed. What would be the advantage of that or did he just 2 left hand heads?

 

Probably much easier to use two carbs when the ports aren't aimed at each other.

 

If I may be allowed one last note, the footnote in my Bible said that Dorcas means 'gazelle'.

 

A little of Twist Grip's coverage of grand Prix Retro le Puy Notre Dame

 

More Twist Grip!

 

"Hallo, would you please announce to the Draculas that the Frankenbergs have arrived?'

 

More VSCC from Cadwell Park.

 

Chater Lea ca.1914
http://zhumoristenouveau.eklablog.com/

 

No doubt it's been mentioned already on this thread, but here's a :
Britain's Greatest Machines" Chris Barrie (Red Dwarf) hosted segment that gets into cyclecars a bit. Starting at the 7:21 mark:

 

Great video!

 

Fabulous!