Hello again! I've been away for a month or two trying to
come up with some car related ideas to assail you with. During the car show season it's often easy to come up with a theme as I tour the various car-filled
fields of Cheshire encountering something that piques my interest and pretty
soon an article splurges forth.
However, outside of the annual motoring firmament, things are more challenging.
It seems this problem of inspiration is a common issue and there are others who are often tasked with coming up with ideas on a consistent basis. Whilst I was on holiday recently I happened across the Car Stuff podcast on the How Stuff Works website. The presenters Scott and Ben have had the unenviable task of finding a new car related subject to discuss every week for the past few years.
And what ground they've covered. I won't list any here but it's worth a listen to some of the subjects they've tackled. It's interesting that they have addressed some of the same themes I've had a go at whilst writing for this blog, developed independently of each other I might add. Proof positive that 'great minds think alike' or indeed that 'fools seldom differ'.
However, outside of the annual motoring firmament, things are more challenging.
It seems this problem of inspiration is a common issue and there are others who are often tasked with coming up with ideas on a consistent basis. Whilst I was on holiday recently I happened across the Car Stuff podcast on the How Stuff Works website. The presenters Scott and Ben have had the unenviable task of finding a new car related subject to discuss every week for the past few years.
And what ground they've covered. I won't list any here but it's worth a listen to some of the subjects they've tackled. It's interesting that they have addressed some of the same themes I've had a go at whilst writing for this blog, developed independently of each other I might add. Proof positive that 'great minds think alike' or indeed that 'fools seldom differ'.
So onto business, and
another subject covered by the Car Stuff boys, but one I've been considering
for a while. A few blogs ago I wrote a
little about a couple of well-known three-wheeled vehicles: the Bond Bug and
its sibling the Reliant Robin. Indeed, when you ask most people in the UK to
name a famous three-wheeler, most would state (erroneously) the 'Robin Reliant'
before bursting into hysterical laughter. Soon after you'll be talking about 'Del Boy and Rodney' and their 'Robin Reliant' van. Again completely wrong
because, as we all know, they actually drove a Reliant Regal Super Van iii.
Then, a la Clarkson, they'll talk about Reliants being prone to falling over in
corners again, mostly wrong, as the Robin JC abused on TV had been heavily
modified to make it tip aided by some over-vigorous driving. The overall
impression though is not good and perhaps not without good reason.
However, there are a
quite a number of other none-Reliant three wheeled cars (TWC) we could mention,
some we're familiar with, and others more obscure that, in spite of their lack
of a fourth wheel, are worth discussing. Let's have a brief review of some of
the luminaries in this category:
Morgan Three
Wheelers
Morgan Motor Company
have a long illustrious heritage of producing TWC starting in 1911 with the V
Twin. Unlike the delta format of Reliant and Bond models, Morgan used the
tadpole configuration for their cars: two wheels in front and one at the back.
Arguably, some would say this is more stable given that the steering and
powertrain offer useful weight over the front tyres. These cars had a good
racing pedigree and despite being made of wood and paper-mache were robust and well-engineered.
They recently reintroduced this configuration for the modern age as a quirky race day car with a modern 1900cc engine coupled to a Mazda gearbox. For me, when I see a one out and about, I start to get slightly nostalgic about a time when men, dressed in oily overalls and smoking a pipe, messed around with their Morgan in tumbledown sheds tinkering with bits of wood and fettling engines with rudimentary tools. And for some reason I start to hear Jerusalem playing in the background. Who'd have thought a missing wheel would do such a thing?
They recently reintroduced this configuration for the modern age as a quirky race day car with a modern 1900cc engine coupled to a Mazda gearbox. For me, when I see a one out and about, I start to get slightly nostalgic about a time when men, dressed in oily overalls and smoking a pipe, messed around with their Morgan in tumbledown sheds tinkering with bits of wood and fettling engines with rudimentary tools. And for some reason I start to hear Jerusalem playing in the background. Who'd have thought a missing wheel would do such a thing?
The Dymaxion
A portmanteau word
for a mixed up vehicle. 'Bucky' Fuller, developer of the Dymaxion, car was an
inventor, visionary and philanthropist who had a series of both innovative and
terrible ideas. This three wheeled behemoth being in the latter category. It
was 50% mobile home, 50% car, 100% death trap in which a test driver did indeed
die. It was set up in tadpole format with a rear mounted 90 degree tiller
steering system and a powerful V8 engine. It resembled what can only be
described as a road-going airship and Fuller did foresee a day when it would
also fly even despite the terrified protests of its (up to) eleven passengers. In fact it was utterly impossible to drive,
unstable in high winds and, well, just awful. Even Fuller described it as: 'an
invention that could not be made available to the general public without
considerable improvements.'
Luckily it didn't get past the prototype phase. There are working versions of it in several museums in the US. Is it worth going to have a look? I shouldn't think so.
Luckily it didn't get past the prototype phase. There are working versions of it in several museums in the US. Is it worth going to have a look? I shouldn't think so.
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| Dymaxion - an idea too far or a wheel too few? |
Peel P50
There are three legs
on the Isle of Man's flag exactly the same as the number of wheels on a Peel
P50 which was manufactured on the island. Acknowledged as the smallest ever
production car it was a vehicle so tiny it could easy fit under the wheels of
an oncoming bus without the bus driver ever noticing something had happened.
With a 49cc engine it could do what must have been a noisy and terrifying 37mph in what was little more than an upturned wheelie bin. Worst still there was no reverse gear supplied so you had to get out to pull the car backwards which obviously meant everyone could see you and look on with eyes brimming with pity and mirth.
With a 49cc engine it could do what must have been a noisy and terrifying 37mph in what was little more than an upturned wheelie bin. Worst still there was no reverse gear supplied so you had to get out to pull the car backwards which obviously meant everyone could see you and look on with eyes brimming with pity and mirth.
Isetta Bubble Car
Whilst we may only
encounter BMW and Trojan versions of this car it was actually originally
designed in Italy and built under license all over the world so there are lots
of different variations of this plucky little micro-car. These include a
pick-up and a 600cc four seat configuration believe it or not. The standard
version was like all in the range was rear-wheel drive with a minuscule 300cc
single pot engine which it was good on petrol and surprisingly roomy.
The only drawback, it was claimed, was if you parked front on too near a wall you'd be trapped in it as you boarded them from the forward facing door. I'm not sure how many skeletal remains have been found in garages as a result of this but I'm sure we'd have heard of them by now. And, despite this minor irritation, it's the one on this list I'd most like to own.
The only drawback, it was claimed, was if you parked front on too near a wall you'd be trapped in it as you boarded them from the forward facing door. I'm not sure how many skeletal remains have been found in garages as a result of this but I'm sure we'd have heard of them by now. And, despite this minor irritation, it's the one on this list I'd most like to own.
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| The Isetta Bubble Car the original hatchfront |
Mystery Car
There's one more car
that's got three wheeled skills but I thought it best not to name it here to
avoid annoying you. Instead, if you're intrigued, have a look at this YouTube
link: http://youtu.be/VWiRxHJHNWc
and then you'll understand. I shall be here at home listening out for laptops
and tablets being thrown through windows with the words 'not again!' being
screamed in the background.
OK that's it for this month. However, I'll start
work soon on my favourite blog of the year the Christmas missive where I do
my best to summon up some festive cheer. Wish me well
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