MORGAN the World's leading 3-Wheelers: The Rivals

The Competitors in Trials and Races, the Rivals in Business:

In the early years of motoring the future of cyclecars and three-wheelers looked promising but was yet undecided. "Motoring for the Million", a Morgan slogan from 1931, was still some 15 to 20 years away. Hundreds of inventors and constructors showed their homebuilt cars to the public and hoped for their share of the market. At that time nobody could know who was going to succeed and who wouldn't make it. Here are a few of the early opponents of the Morgan three-wheeler:

Bedelia 1912
The Bedelia was Morgan's strongest rival during the Cyclecar Grand Prix of 1913. Built in Paris by Henri Bourbeau and Robert Deveaux it was surely one of the most popular and longest-lived French cyclecars. The body was a torpedo shaped duocar with the driver sitting in the rear behind the passenger. The car did cost 120 guineas in 1912 . The picture to the left is from an early Bedelia's advertisement.

Bedelia 1913
Here is another picture of a Bedelia. This is the example, that was built for the 1913 Cyclecar Grand Prix. It featured a 10hp V-2 engine and brought the power to the back wheels by means of two really huge belts.

G.W.K. 1912
The model shown here is the "G.W.K." from 1912. Fitted with an 8hp twin cylinder water-cooled engine the car drove with a maximum speed of 45mph and a petrol consumption of 45mpg. The weight was 7cwt and the price tag £150 completely equipped.

Rollo 1912
The Rollo from the Rollo Car Co., Ltd., Conybere St., Birmingham, was a show model at Harrods in 1912 and it was offered for sale for a price of £105 complete with hood and screen.

Zebra 1912
The Zebra was a little bit underpowered with a single cylinder engine of 6hp. Harrods of London recommended it as "the ideal car for a lady to drive." Shown here is the 1912 model.

Autotrix 1912
The Autotrix was one of the participants of the first cyclecar race at Brooklands. It had an 8hp engine and was built by Edmunds and Wadden. The car was obviously no success.

B.S.A. 1930
The B.S.A. was one of the major players in the three-wheeler business. It was built by the B.S.A. Cycles Ltd., Small Heath, Birmingham and sold all over the world. To the left is the model for 1930.

Coventry-Victor 1930
The Coventry-Victor three-wheeler entered the market in 1926 and was quite a success. The model range for 1930 included a tourer, a sportsman's coupé, a family model and a sports model. The picture to the right shows the Sports Coventry-Victor in two shades of cellulose as it was displayed at the Olympia Show in November 1929.

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