FF Web - Historic FFs. 1909 on.

Another 30s Cycle Car

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:52:07 +0000

Via email from Mitch Castro.

NSU cut-away

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:36:46 +0000

See the separate "Baumm NSU" folder for more pix.

Mauser Einspur/Monotrace (1928)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:33:58 +0000

More images and detailed information at:http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/2wheelcar/monotrace/monotrace.htm This machine was restored in Switzerland by Kohler who also took the photo: http://www.kohlerag.ch/

Mauser EinspurAuto (1921)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:02:30 +0000

The German Mauser EinspurAuto was also produced under licence in France under the name 'Monotrace' which is the translation of Einspur, meaning single track. With its retractable outriggers it was a clear forerunner of the Peraves Ecomobile. PNB

Avro Monocar (1926)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:53:30 +0000

Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe's Monocar now resides in the Aviation museum in Southampton, appropriate for the creation of one of Britain's aviation pioneers. PNB Paul Blezard Photo

Fartens tjusning!

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 18:18:29 +0000

The caption appears to be Swedish for something like "the seductive allure of speed".

Whitwood Monocar (1934)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:25:04 +0000

Introduced in 1934, and with the same mechanicals as the OEC Atlanta Duo, including the duplex steering, this machine had a geared steering wheel, two doors, and outrigger wheels. After discussions with the Ministry of Transport regarding the taxation class of machines like this, which actually have four wheels, two of which are part-time stabilisers, it was ruled to be a motorcycle. Note also that the traditional solution to two seats on an FF - the driver reclining in the passenger's lap - may be older than we thought!

OEC Atlanta Duo 1935-37

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:18:30 +0000

1936 OEC Atlanta Duo - Made in Portsmouth with a 21 inch seat height and Feet Forward. This was an open version of the Whitwood two-wheeled car, with handlebars rather than a steering wheel, but still with the OEC duplex steering designed by Fred Wood.

Neracar

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:05:38 +0000

Lawson Neracar

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:39:59 +0000

This is the Lawson Neracar made in the late 1940s by combining a 4 cylinder in-line Blackburne engine with a Neracar chassis and adding some beautifully flowing home-made bodywork. Compare and contrast with the more boxy Avro Monocar made two decades earlier. There was a whole article about this machine in one of the weekly motorcycle magazines of the day, which was re-printed in Classic Mechanics in the 1980s. PNB

Dalnik V (Karel Horak, 1965)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:43:43 +0000

This is the Dalnik V made in Czechoslovakia in the 1965 by Karel Horak who is pictured here sitting in it, with his wife in the back. He came to the first Ecomobile world championships at Most in Czecho in 1991 and did a complete lap of the circuit before any of the Ecos. You can see it in action in the video of the event that I helped to make for Arnold. I had a sit in it, but not a ride. It's powered by a smokey Jawa 350 two-stroke engine. I believe Arnold Wagner bought it for posterity and it is now on display with his first, boxer-engined, Ecomobile in a Swiss museum. PNB Photo: Paul

Wilkinson

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 21:34:37 +0000

This is the Wilkinson four cylinder, shaft driven machine that was filmed for the Top Gear 'FF special' in 1988 at Wroughton aerodrome. The chap who owned it very kindly unhitched its usual sidecar attachment especially for the programme. After the filming I had a quick spin on it and it felt as if all the decades of sidecar use had permanently bent the frame. What a great design for 1909 though! Some models actual had steering wheels. I'd love to do the Epsom-Brighton Run on one of these! PNB

Blez in 1926 Avro at Wroughton (1988)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:36:34 +0000

This is Yours Truly sat in Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe's Avro Monocar at the Science Museum's annexe at Wroughton aerodrome in Wiltshire during the filming of the BBC TV Top Gear 'FF special' in April 1988. This machine can now be seen in the Aviation museum in Southampton alongside the much later and last of the monocars made 30 years later. I recorded a piece to camera while sitting in this very low and light and pioneering FF . Sadly, it didn't run, but the superbly designed single sided suspension felt very bouncy. As I said in the programme, 'Sir Alliott regularly used to ride it from Southampton to Manchester and back, wearing just normal outdoor clothing'.

Anderlé's First Dalnik (Czech, 1940s)

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:25:33 +0000

This is a picture of Jan Anderlé in his first Dalnik in 1940s Czecholovakia. It had manually operated outriggers and front wheel drive! Anderlé was an inspiration to Arnold Wagner, creator of the Ecomobile, and anyone who learns to drive an Ecomobile to a sufficient standard to be let loose on a public highway becomes a member of the 'Jan Anderlé Vereinigung' (club).

Dalnik V (Czech, 1965)

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 21:22:30 +0000