Her First Ride? (UPDATE III: NO Rex ! NO Rexette!)

• 

Her name was Glwadys James and she lived in Melbourne, Australia. Her friend Perce Morris was a bit of a technician and inventor. He has designed his own means of transport and asked Glwadys out for a ride. But looking at her anxious face and prim mouth, we don’t think Glwadys liked the three-wheeler at all. “Just think what it will do to my hat!”

(photo courtesy Anthony James)
Next to nothing is known about this constructor. Anyone who can add to the knowledge of Perce Morris machineries? Contact Us

UPDATE III came in form Malcolm Jeal: "It is definitely not a Rex tricar or a Rexette. The single-cylinder Rex tricar introduced late in 1903 had the single-cylinder engine ahead of the driver's feet, but it had square (in plan view) air-cooling fins and anyway was handle-bar steered. The Rexette that appeared late in 1904, had a two-cylinder water-cooled engine mounted under the driver's seat with mini-radiators on the seat sides - the car in your photograph has an air-cooled 90 degree Vee-twin engine. Also the vehicle shown has no brakes on the front wheels (as Rex and most other tricars had) and the steering column was near-upright, not in the lap of the drive as here. There were other differences, such as the enclosed chain drive of both the Rex tricar and the Rexette. I cannot identify the make of the tricar but it is not any of the obvious ones such as Rex/Rexette, Phoenix, Rover, Riley, Singer - plus hundreds more. Being a Vee-twin it probably dates from 1905/6. Whatever, one does not want people to be misled as to the make, better to be 'unknown' for now."
Update II comes from Mike Crehan: "My friend Colin Groves has a 1905 V twin Rexette which I have supported in the Pioneer Run for several years. It is very different from the pictured forecar. The Rexette is water cooled with the water reservoir wrapped around the back of the drivers seat and the radiators at either side. The oil and petrol tanks are formed around the back of the passenger seat and the steering column is much closer to vertical than on the pictured machine. The Rexette looks altogether bigger and more substantial.
Update I by Martin 'Thornycroft' Shelley: "I don't think this was built in Australia, but that it is a Rex or Rexette forecar of about 1905. There are several similar forecars in the VCC register, some described as Rex and some as Rexette and of differing engine sizes, up to 5HP singles and 8HP twins, so Gladys's descendants could no doubt blag a ride if they wanted to experience what she suffered at the time!"

Ajoutez un commentaire...