A rider and his De Dion Bouton Tricycle.
Lyndon kindly sent this old photo over, it shows a smartly-dressed gent preparing to startle some pedestrians on his motor-driven De Dion Bouton Tricycle. Count De Dion and Georges Bouton produced their first powered tricycle, sporting a 137cc engine, in 1895, with a 250cc version being introduced in 1896. Cars bearing the De Dion Bouton name were also produced.
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The fuel tank was positioned between the cyclist's knees, and the control levers just above that. The example shown above sports an optional water-cooling kit, the cylindrical tank & radiator mounted behind the rider's seat handling this extra cooling, handy if you lived in a hilly area and needed to work the engine hard. Owners keen to accessorise their De Dion Bouton, could also opt for a handy little trailer seat, or perhaps the "forecar" attachment, turning the tricycle into a quadricycle. A part-dismantled tricycle, and probably also a De Dion Bouton, can be seen alongside some tired old motorcars on this page of the vintage photo gallery.
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De Dion Bouton Forecar.
The following old photos turned up late in 2009, and were described as featuring a De Dion Bouton Forecar. Several firms made forecars, so if someone could confirm the make of this forecar it would be appreciated.
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This particular machine looks a little later than the tricycle shown above, and incorporated a single rear wheel, with two up front, either side of a comfortable looking armchair. The first image shows the forecar being craned into a sailing vessel, the location is given as St Mawes Quay, Cornwall. The second shows the tricycle safely stowed on board.
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Shown below, a clearer look at the machine in question. Note the fitment of a steering wheel rather than handlebars. Crash protection for the passenger wasn't really a consideration in those days.
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