Scootacar

Scootacar was a British microcar marque associated with Scootacars Ltd, a division of the Hunslet Engine Company, the Leeds-based railway-locomotive builder. The company produced a distinctive three-wheeled vehicle in Hunslet, Leeds, between 1957 and 1964. The project is commonly linked to a practical parking problem: an account associated with the company says that the wife of one of its directors wanted a vehicle that would be easier to park than her Jaguar. Although that story is part of the marque's popular history rather than a fully documented corporate origin narrative, it captures the compact urban purpose for which the car was conceived. The original Scootacar was designed by Henry Brown, who had previously been involved with the Rodley. Its unusual shape was developed around a Villiers motorcycle engine. According to the commonly repeated design account, Brown sat on the engine while an assistant drew an outline around him, helping produce the car's exceptionally narrow and tall profile. The resulting body was made from glass-fibre-reinforced plastic and measured approximately 2,210 millimetres in length, 1,321 millimetres in width and 1,524 millimetres in height. Its upright form led to the nickname "telephone booth." The first model used a rear-mounted, 197 cc Villiers 9E single-cylinder two-stroke engine. Power passed through a four-speed motorcycle-style gearbox and chain drive to the single rear wheel. Steering was controlled by handlebars rather than a conventional steering wheel. The front suspension was independent and used coil springs, while the small 8-inch wheels contributed to the car's compact packaging. The spare wheel was mounted externally at the rear. Depending on the seating arrangement, the car could carry two people with the passenger behind the driver, or accommodate occupants side by side in a particularly tight configuration. Its published top speed was about 50 miles per hour. Scootacar attempted to broaden the vehicle's appeal with the De Luxe, also referred to as the Mark 2, introduced in 1960. This version had a substantially redesigned body, more interior room and seating for three. Its stated top speed rose to approximately 55 miles per hour, and its listed price was £275. The model arrived too late to achieve large sales. In 1961, the De Luxe Twin, or Mark 3, added a 324 cc Villiers 3T twin-cylinder engine. This gave the three-wheeler a claimed top speed of about 68 miles per hour, but the larger-engined version remained particularly scarce. Production ended in 1964 after approximately 970 Scootacars had been built. Only around 20 are understood to have used the larger 324 cc engine, making the Mark 3 substantially rarer than the standard versions. The marque's surviving vehicles are now primarily of interest to microcar historians, collectors and restorers rather than ordinary motorists. Restoration can be difficult because some original components are scarce. Examples include the distinctive rear lamp units made by the defunct L.E. Perry company, whose moulds were reportedly lost in a 1960s fire, as well as period wiper motors and other small fittings. Surviving cars and technical information are documented by enthusiast registries and specialist owners' resources.

Scootacar emerged in the late 1950s as a vehicle project within Scootacars Ltd, a division of the Hunslet Engine Company in Hunslet, Leeds. Hunslet was principally known as a railway-locomotive manufacturer, so the production of a lightweight three-wheeled microcar represented a move into a very different category of transport engineering. The car was conceived for compact personal mobility and parking convenience. A frequently repeated explanation for the project connects it with the wife of one of the company's directors, who wanted an easier-to-park alternative to a Jaguar. The available historical material does not establish a separately documented founder, but it identifies Henry Brown as the designer. Brown had previously been associated with the Rodley, another small British vehicle. The first Scootacar used a radically narrow, upright layout. Its glass-fibre body was approximately 60 inches high, 87 inches long and only 52 inches wide. This made it unusually tall relative to its length and width, producing the appearance that prompted the nickname "telephone booth." The body design was reportedly developed by outlining Brown while he sat on a Villiers engine, an approach that emphasized the compact packaging of the rear-mounted power unit and the driver. The first car used a 197 cc Villiers 9E single-cylinder two-stroke engine, a four-speed motorcycle-type gearbox and chain drive to the single rear wheel. Handlebar steering, independent front suspension with coil springs and small 8-inch wheels reinforced its motorcycle-derived engineering character. The layout offered limited but flexible accommodation. Two occupants could be carried with one sitting behind the driver, while another arrangement allowed the occupants to sit alongside each other in a very confined space. The externally mounted spare wheel occupied the rear of the car. The original version was reported to reach approximately 50 miles per hour, giving it more performance than its tiny dimensions might suggest, although its main practical proposition was compact urban travel rather than long-distance touring. In 1960, Scootacars introduced the De Luxe, also known as the Mark 2. The redesign provided more room and seating for three, addressing one of the original car's most obvious limitations. Its claimed maximum speed increased to about 55 miles per hour, and the listed price was £275. Despite these changes, the model appeared too late to sell in substantial numbers. The following year brought the De Luxe Twin, or Mark 3, with a 324 cc Villiers 3T twin-cylinder engine. The larger engine raised the stated top speed to approximately 68 miles per hour. Only about 20 examples were made with this engine, making them especially rare among surviving Scootacars. Production continued until 1964, by which time approximately 970 vehicles had been built across the range. The end of production left Scootacar as a small and short-lived British microcar marque. Its importance today rests less on commercial scale than on its distinctive design, unusual engineering and place in the post-war British microcar movement. Surviving cars are maintained by enthusiasts, and specialist registers provide photographs, specifications and restoration information. Restoration is complicated by the scarcity of some original parts. The Mk 1's rear lamp assembly is particularly difficult to source. These lamps were made by L.E. Perry, or LEP, a company that later ceased operating; historical accounts associate the loss of the lamp moulds with a fire during the 1960s. The lamps used a red lens with a clear side section for illuminating the registration plate and were larger than comparable contemporary Lucas units. Many surviving cars therefore use substitute lamps, sometimes requiring a separate number-plate light to meet legal requirements. Period Bluemell reflectors and the original 12-volt Mk 1 wiper motor are also of interest to restorers. These details contribute to Scootacar's continuing significance as a collectible and technically distinctive British microcar.

• 1964

  Production ends

  [1]Scootacaren.wikipedia.org

  Scootacar production stops after approximately 970 vehicles have been built, including only about 20 examples with the larger engine.

• 1961

  De Luxe Twin / Mark 3 introduced

  [1]Scootacaren.wikipedia.org

  The Mark 3 adopts a 324 cc Villiers 3T twin-cylinder engine and is reported to reach approximately 68 miles per hour.

• 1960

  De Luxe / Mark 2 introduced

  [1]Scootacaren.wikipedia.org

  A redesigned De Luxe model, also called the Mark 2, provides additional room, seating for three and a claimed top speed of about 55 miles per hour.

• 1957

  Scootacar production begins

  [1]Scootacaren.wikipedia.org

  Scootacars Ltd, a division of the Hunslet Engine Company, begins producing the three-wheeled Scootacar microcar in Hunslet, Leeds.

A highly compact British urban microcar designed around easy parking, low physical footprint and motorcycle-derived mechanical components.

• Three-wheeled microcar · 1957

  Scootacar Mk 1

  The original Scootacar used a tall, narrow glass-fibre body, a rear-mounted 197 cc Villiers 9E single-cylinder two-stroke engine, a four-speed motorcycle-style gearbox and chain drive to the single rear wheel. It featured handlebar steering, independent front suspension and seating arrangements intended for very compact two-person transport. Its reported top speed was approximately 50 miles per hour.

• Three-wheeled microcar · 1960

  Scootacar De Luxe (Mark 2)

  Introduced in 1960, the De Luxe was a major body redesign intended to make the car more usable. It provided greater interior room and seating for three, while retaining the compact three-wheeled concept. Its reported top speed was about 55 miles per hour, and its listed price was £275 at launch. The model did not sell in large numbers.

• Three-wheeled microcar · 1961

  Scootacar De Luxe Twin (Mark 3)

  The De Luxe Twin, or Mark 3, was introduced in 1961 with a 324 cc Villiers 3T twin-cylinder engine. The larger engine gave the car a reported top speed of approximately 68 miles per hour. Only around 20 examples were produced with this engine, making the Mark 3 an especially uncommon surviving variant.

1. 1Scootacaren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Scootacar Registerscootacar.org.uk