Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Does any one know the name of the miniture car that was legalised to go on public roads. I think a chap drove around the globe in one, 80 or 90cc engine?

Help apreciated!?!

Cheers

Dave

[alfanut]

Hi busy bee, I think it was the Rytecraft Scootacar, which was made originally in the 30s as a fairground ride. I suppose that it had a Villiers engine, so probably 98cc, the same as their autocycle engines.
As an aside, as a very small child my main treat when I went to the seaside at Southend was to go on a little petrol engined car that you could drive round a track, which may well have led to a lifelong obsession with cars. I wonder if these were the same cars? Does anyone else recall anything similar?

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Cheers, I think that is the right one!

I used to watch brum, when I was little, that got me into old cars!

Cheers

Dave

[admin]

Alfa - I've got a photo on the site of a track like that, with racing cars that went around a track, here:


(in the mystery car section http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/mysterycars.htm)

BB - yup that Scootacar was at Goodwood this year, I'll dig out a photo of it, great little thing it is

Rick

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Cheers!

I like the coaches in the background!

Cheers

Dave

[alfanut]

Thanks Rick, yes that was just the sort of car, with a bumper all round. The seaside isn't Southend, the track there was next to the pier, so there must have been quite a few tracks like that. Lovely coaches, too. What a pity so few have survived; I suppose they soon were replaced by the latest styles and didn't last long enough to be preserved.
Sorry about the mis-spelling buzzy

[Uncle Joe]

I thought that I would wait before answering this one. It was indeed the Rytecraft that could be registered and used on the road. As others have suggested, the engine was 98cc (a Villiers), although some models had a 200 or 250cc, cant remember which! One distinctive feature of them was always the grille, often a Rolls lookalike.

The Scootacar was something different, as it was a rather tall three wheeler. However, it may have been the same company that made these.

I'm not sure what the the cars in the photograph are, but I'd hazard a guess that the track is either in the NW or N Wales. I remember from my childhood that there was a coach park near a track, cant remember where though!

Like alfanut, I remember that is was a treat to be able to drive these cars, but for me it was usually in "the bear pit" at Southport. I wonder if thats still there?

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Alfanut, don't worry, I never actually noticed!!

Thanks for all of the reply's, does anyone know of any websites with good information on these, if not I will have a search later?

Cheers again

Dave

[admin]

Here's the Rytecraft Scoota-Car that travelled the globe, seen at Goodwood this year:

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-revival/rytecraft_scoota-car_137.htm

The Scootacar however was indeed a fibreglass 3 wheeler from the 50s, such as this one:

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-malvern/scootacar_3_wheeler_34.htm

Rick

[Uncle Joe]

Just out of curiosity, is there any connection between the Rytecraft Scoota-car and the Scootacar?

Any ideas about the pictured track?

[Uncle Joe]

Rick, I just had a look at the links. Are you still looking for info about the Scootacar three-wheeler?

[admin]

UJ, always keen to add to the info on any photos on the main site!

cheers, R

[alfanut]

UJ, I don't think there is any connection between the two. I don't know who made the earlier one, but the three-wheeler was made by the Hunslet Locomotive Company of Leeds of all people. I think that was their only venture into the world of car-building.
Another link between steam locomotives and microcars. The Isetta was assembled in Brighton at the old works of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and the only access was by rail. Any other odd lconnections like this?

[Uncle Joe]

alfanut, you are indeed correct! The Scootacar was first made in 1958 by Hunslet Engineering in Leeds. The basic idea was to produce a covered scooter as things like Vespas and Lambrettas were popular at the time. The design originated something like this. A "scooter" was fitted with two front wheels. Then a fibreglass body was designed to enclose the rider (driver?) and passenger. A large car size door was fitted to the left side only. This was because motorcyclists mount from the left, as horse riders.

There were three production models. MkI, MkII, and MkIII. All had fibreglass bodies, attached to a simple chassis that included a floorpan.

The MkI's (your picture) had an E-series Villiers engine of about 200cc, with the passenger sitting behind the driver, as on a scooter. this is the only model that I have ever driven. In the rain, they were suicidal, it was worse than driving on ice!

The MkII's had the same engine, but the body was wider and there was a car seat for the passenger. This was no longer behind the driver, but offset to give them a better view.

The MkIII's were more or less identical to the II's, but were fitted with a T-series Villiers two stroke twin of 250cc.

Manufacture ceased in 1964

[Rivet_101]

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.svvs.org/genpics/R1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.svvs.org/rytecraft.htm&h=560&w=560&sz=48&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=_KOmKedILg-Q7M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drytecraft%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG