SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Was having a hunt around Leodis, and I found the attached pic. I had never realised that Leeds produced a car at one point, even if it was a scootacar!Description from leodis...c.1960. View of Scootacars at the Hunslet Engine Works on Jack Lane. The Scootacar was developed in 1957 and was designed and constructed by the Hunslet Engine Works. There were three Scootacar designs, MK I, II, and III. Approximately 1,500 cars were produced until production ceased in 1967. The sign in the centre states ' Scootacars Ltd, Licensed Petroleum Spirit store'.

Some more information from Wikipedia...Scootacar was a British three wheeled microcar built in Leeds by Scootacars Ltd a division of the railway locomotive builder, the Hunslet Engine Company between 1957 and 1964.It was allegedly built because the wife of one of the directors wanted something easier to park than her Jaguar. The shape of the car was designed by Henry Brown who did it by sitting on a Villiers engine and then having an assistant draw an outline around him. The body was built in glass fibre and was very tall for its size being 60 in (1524 mm) high, 87 in (2210 mm) long and only 52 in (1321 mm) wide. It was nicknamed "the telephone booth". Two people could be carried with a passenger behind the driver or alternatively just squeezed in alongside. Power came from a Villiers 9E 197 cc single cylinder 2 stroke engine coupled to a four speed motorcycle type gearbox and chain drive to the single rear wheel. Steering was by handlebars. The top speed was 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).In 1960 came the De Luxe or Mark 2, with a totally redesigned body with more room and seating for three, but it appeared too late to sell in any great numbers. It had a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) and sold for 275 British Pounds.[1]In 1961 the De Luxe Twin Mark 3 cars appeared fitted with a 250 cc twin giving a top speed of 68 mph (109 km/h).Production stopped in 1964 after a total of about 1000 Scootacars were made, but only about 20-30 had the larger engine.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scootacar

This is great. I want one. Shame there are not many about. I wonder if any secretleedsers has one of these at all. I would love to give it a "test drive" at the very least....Also see http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/scootacar1.html

its similar to that one jeremy clarkson spent the day in on top gear it looks cute but i bet its not 'impact with a truck at 50 mph' cute lol    

Brandy wrote: its similar to that one jeremy clarkson spent the day in on top gear it looks cute but i bet its not 'impact with a truck at 50 mph' cute lol     ....and some how he managed to get both legs in and close the door!

looks like those old pale blue invalid cars....the ones that were always for sale at the side of the regent picture house,where the pickle factory used to be....yoooo..sat sitting there...yoooo!

wiggy wrote: looks like those old pale blue invalid cars....the ones that were always for sale at the side of the regent picture house,where the pickle factory used to be....yoooo..sat sitting there...yoooo! They were lethal-for the same reason that the scootacar probably was was-it looks to have a very high centre of gravity.    

I remember the Scootacar very well from the 1960s. The garage in Headingley Lane which is now an Alba tyre depot was an agent for them - I believe Frank Leach Motors ??I must say that, even without a lorry collisiion, I should have wanted to bale out long before reaching 50 or 68 mph !!They also had the rather cruel nickname "Nodding sentry box" at the time.I believe the pale blue invalid cars - "AC INVACAR" - were made in Thames Ditton by the luxury car manufacturer AC Cars. AC can't have been afraid of diversifying as they also made one generation of the pier railway trains at Southend on Sea.

BLAKEY wrote: I remember the Scootacar very well from the 1960s. The garage in Headingley Lane which is now an Alba tyre depot was an agent for them - I believe Frank Leach Motors ??I must say that, even without a lorry collisiion, I should have wanted to bale out long before reaching 50 or 68 mph !!They also had the rather cruel nickname "Nodding sentry box" at the time.I believe the pale blue invalid cars - "AC INVACAR" - were made in Thames Ditton by the luxury car manufacturer AC Cars. AC can't have been afraid of diversifying as they also made one generation of the pier railway trains at Southend on Sea. there were quite a few of these 'bubble cars' around in the 50s and 60s weren't thereI seem to remember the Isetta-the whole front opened for people to get in and out, and there was the messerschmitt-which kind of appropriately had a fighter style roof. Bond made a bubble car that ws rthe predecessor of the bug as well.

I used to see a Bond Bug around Armley regularly several years ago.