Velocars and other interesting vehicles.

The Allard Clipper. 1 x door, 1 x bench seat. 1 x wheel drive. Dickie seat behind cabin to safely isolate 2 loud and sticky children.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allard_Clipper

1024px-1954_Allard_Clipper.jpg
 
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There are many claims and counter claims about who made the first series production fibreglass cars (yes, it's a loose term here), but the Allard dates from 1954, so that's one marker down.
 

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Reliant's glassfibre came after the Allard Clipper. The Corvette appears to have been the first mass produced complete vehicle. Unless somebody throws one up outside of our normal sphere of reference.
 
I don't think anyone's going to pedal this anywhere far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWS_Shopper
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... anyway, I do not think that I would be happy wiht such a vehicle!
I had to modified it a lot for pedal-power, I would build somehting quite different in a style that I want.... As practical "heavy quadricycle", it could be OK, in spite that it is quite ugly (maybe thier is some sharm in that?).
Zoran
 
Wasn't it 1956 and the Reliant Regal Mk3?
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... ah, Trotters!
There is so often rerpises of that Emglish TV serial, that every generation in Serbia accepted it as cult! There is even one cafe in Belgrade, totally in a style of one from TV serial, with the same yellow Reliant in windows! For us - it seems that serial is about our people! Only, folk speak English - but everyhting else is the same!
Zoran
 
No, no charm at all. It's a shed.
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... something better sketches I made when I was young and had a dream about bilding my light motored vehicle! If I wanted motored-HPV with closed cabine, I would built it cute as possible.
Zoran
P.S.: Someboidy wrote here that vehilces could be practical and cute!
 
There are many claims and counter claims about who made the first series production fibreglass cars (yes, it's a loose term here), but the Allard dates from 1954, so that's one marker down.
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Ludwig,
Not any problem to discus such issues here!
Only, I do not like fiberglass bodies at all! They could look nice when they are new, could last for centuries, but look bad in a few years! Knowthat with boats. For one-off DIY vehicles there are more problems than benefits using it. Only "plastic" that I would accept is material used by great Paul Elkins, forgot the name... But, no bullbose shapes, just simple curves and twisting as with plywood...
Zoran
 

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Originally Posted by bluegoatwoods
... ... ...
I would think it must be even worse for some of the folks around me. But they don't seem to notice it. I sure do, though.
It's better, of course, when you can step up. Such as a pickup truck or a van.
But light weight transportation with a high center of gravity doesn't sound like a very good idea. It's a shame.

... ... ...
Yes exactly, it's why I dislike the things too :(
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Hello,
The worst problem that I had (and I was much younger) was when I was driving Spitfire for short time: too low, too crampled inside - but nice for driving...
Now, something more comfortable for jolly cruising around:

  • free entrance (fully open sides as for veteran cars, or wide doors);
  • higher seating position (when standing beside vehicle, the height of seats as kithcen chair - mesuring from the gorund, just to slip on it, without climbing or set-down too low)
Therefore, it shouldn't be too high C.G. when we are in/on a vehicle. With slow speeds (up to 20 mph) and pensioenr style of driving - no dangers at corners.
Zoran
 
Stability can be enhanced in a 2 seater with in line seating, so placing the centre of mass equally between sides, whilst still allowing a decent seat height.
 
[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]Hello Ludwig,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]I had in mind tandem-seats to save on width of vehicle and to make it more stable, but... [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]If it isn't closed seating as on motorcycle, which isn't so good for us anymore, then vehicle is too long! For two of us and normal seating, we need 2 meters cabin, from my foot-rest to wife's backrest. It could be something shorter, but not too much. If it is pedal-powered version, it should be even longer.
That means that I should seat between front wheels and my wife between rear wheels, if want to have not so long chassis and wheel-base...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]However, still have to think about such version. Chassis could be simpler and so on... Maybe it isn't important for low speeds, but better aerodynamics could be achieved.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]Zoran
[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, sans-serif]P.S.: Attached are photos with tandem-seats veteran automobile, maybe something bigger than it is good for motored velocar. Also, a lot of cycle-cars are made in such form, the most famous was Bedelia, but not only one.
[/FONT]

 

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That's a very simple vehicle Zoran. Essentially it's a buckboard cyclecar, but a little more narrow due to having tandem instead of side by side seating.

Here's something similar, but it's a pedalcar. French, made in 1906 from wood and tinplate for a little girl named Miss Madelaine. Overall length 72 inches.

I don't know anything about the yellow one though :(
 

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