Carlette

Carlette was a short-lived British cyclecar associated with Holstein Garage in Weybridge, Surrey. The vehicle was produced in 1913, placing it within the early cyclecar movement, when lightweight and mechanically simple cars were developed as more economical alternatives to larger touring automobiles. Its power came from an 8 hp JAP V-twin engine. Rather than using a conventional multi-speed gearbox, the drivetrain transmitted power through a rubber belt to a countershaft. The effective drive ratio could be altered by repositioning the belt, while a second belt carried the final drive to the right-hand rear wheel. This arrangement reflects the experimental engineering common among early cyclecars, which often used motorcycle-derived engines, belt drives, and simplified chassis layouts to reduce weight and manufacturing complexity. Available historical material identifies the Carlette as a 1913 vehicle made by Holstein Garage, but does not establish a longer production run, a detailed model range, sales figures, named executives, ownership history, or a surviving corporate structure. The marque is therefore best understood as a defunct early British cyclecar brand or model associated with a local garage rather than as a continuing automobile company.

The Carlette belongs to the formative period of British cyclecar manufacturing. In the years before and immediately after the First World War, cyclecars occupied a niche between motorcycles and full-sized automobiles. Their designers generally sought to offer enclosed or semi-enclosed four-wheeled transport with lower weight, simpler construction, and reduced running costs than conventional cars. Many relied on motorcycle engines and non-standard transmission systems, reflecting both the limited resources of small manufacturers and the experimental character of the market. The Carlette was made in 1913 by Holstein Garage of Weybridge, Surrey. The available record does not identify an individual founder or provide evidence of a large-scale manufacturing operation. Its engineering specification was compact and distinctly cyclecar-oriented. An 8 hp JAP V-twin engine supplied propulsion. The engine was connected by a rubber belt to a countershaft, and different drive ratios could be selected by changing the belt's position. A further belt transmitted power from the countershaft to the right-hand rear wheel. This belt-based layout avoided the complexity of a conventional gearbox and final-drive assembly, while allowing the vehicle's effective gearing to be adjusted for different operating conditions. The Carlette appears to have had a brief historical presence. Existing reference material records its 1913 manufacture but does not document later production, successor models, corporate expansion, export activity, commercial campaigns, or a continuing brand owner. No reliable information is available here about production volume, pricing, body styles beyond its identification as a cyclecar, or the fate of Holstein Garage's vehicle business. On the evidence available, the Carlette should be classified as a defunct British early automobile marque or model rather than a modern active brand. Its principal historical significance lies in illustrating the technical solutions used by small British cyclecar makers during the early development of affordable lightweight motoring.

• 1913

  Carlette cyclecar produced

  [1]Carletteen.wikipedia.org

  Holstein Garage of Weybridge, Surrey, made the Carlette, a lightweight British cyclecar powered by an 8 hp JAP V-twin engine.

An early British cyclecar emphasizing lightweight construction, a small motorcycle-derived engine, and a mechanically simple belt-drive system.

• Cyclecar · 1913

  Carlette cyclecar

  The Carlette was a lightweight British cyclecar produced in 1913 by Holstein Garage of Weybridge, Surrey. It used an 8 hp JAP V-twin engine and a distinctive belt-based drivetrain. Power passed from the engine to a countershaft through a rubber belt, with the effective drive ratio adjusted by moving the belt's position. A second belt transmitted the final drive to the right-hand rear wheel. The design reflects the simplified, motorcycle-influenced engineering used by many early cyclecars.

1. 1Carletteen.wikipedia.org