Vintage sidecars - Page 2.
The first page of vintage sidecar photographs grew more than I'd envisaged it would, so it's time to open a second page for the latest discoveries.
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1. A wicker-bodied sidecar combination.
Two superb family photographs, kindly sent over by Gillian Lindsay, begin proceedings. Both photos date to the 1912-1914 period, and were taken in Scotland. Sat on the motorcycle (a Triumph?) is Gillian's Grandfather, while her Grandmother sits in the relative comfort of the sidecar with Gillian's Mother (born 5th November 1911) on her lap. Sat in the footwell of the wicker-bodied sidecar is her Aunt.
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The sidecar is in itself a work of art, and typical of those being built in the Edwardian & vintage eras. Bradbury, itself a motorcycle manufacturer, produced a sidecar very similar in appearance to the one shown below. Note the small opening door, and deep front profile which offered a measure of weather protection to the occupants' lower legs. The motorcycle is by another firm though. Its registration is G5943, a Glasgow issue. It reminds me of a c1909/1910 Triumph machine, but confirmation of the manufacturer would be very much appreciated.
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Both images are fantastic reminders of how affordable motorised transport was beginning to transform the lives of families across the country, opening up new opportunities for travel, over 100 years ago.
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| (Please click the thumbnail to view full-size image.) |
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While the first image is in sepia, the second - while obviously of the motorcycle and sidecar in the same lane or quiet road - is black and white. Everyone's clothing and seating positions are the same in both shots, suggesting that the two pictures were taken on the same day, perhaps before and after a ride out, and possibly by two different cameras. Note the modest amount of tread still evident on the motorcycle's front tyre.
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My thanks again to Gillian for allowing me to share these photographs on OCC.
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2. Another unidentified sidecar, 1920.
A gent sat alongside (presumably) his young child, is the subject of the following old photograph. The body of the sidecar is a well-constructed affair, and clearly a great deal of attention had been paid to both its design and build. A single gas lamp is fitted to its nearside, just ahead of the tiny opening door, and hinge-forward windscreen. The leather upholstery looks particularly inviting, at least on a sunny dry day.
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Few details of the motorcycle are visible, although the registration - NB-8890 - confirms a life spent on the roads of Manchester. The NB series ran from May 1919 to August 1920 only, thus enabling the combination to be dated with a reasonable amount of accuracy. I wonder who the two people were.
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3. Triumph?
My best guess is that the following motorcycle/sidecar combo is a Triumph, possibly the 3.5hp, although I'm happy to be corrected. The registration is IJ 2006, from a long-running registration series that stretched between 1903 and 1930 in Down, Northern Ireland. The young chap sat astride the machine sports the usual motorcyclist's clothing of the era, namely a flat cap, sturdy jacket and trouser clips.
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Return to Page 18 in the classic & vintage photo gallery.
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