Vee Gee

Vee Gee was an early British cyclecar made in Leeds, Yorkshire, by Vernon Gash. The marque appears to have existed for only one production year, 1913, placing it within the brief cyclecar era when lightweight, relatively inexpensive vehicles occupied a position between motorcycles and conventional small cars. The name was derived from the initials or abbreviated form of its maker's name, Vernon Gash. Unlike some minimally engineered cyclecars, the Vee Gee was described as having a comparatively sophisticated mechanical layout. Its chassis used a tubular metal frame, while propulsion came from an air-cooled, 8 hp V-twin engine supplied by JAP. Power was transmitted through a conventional three-speed gearbox and then by a transmission shaft to a worm-gear final drive. This arrangement gave the car a more conventional drivetrain than the simplest belt- or chain-driven cyclecars of the period. The body was open and fitted with a single bench seat. Contemporary claims suggested that the bench was wide enough for three occupants, although the available reference material does not provide detailed information about dimensions, performance, equipment, or production distribution. The advertised price was 110 guineas, equivalent to £115.50 at the time. A Sports version was announced or promised, but available historical accounts indicate that it was probably never built. The Vee Gee was not a long-running manufacturer. Its known production is confined to 1913, and the total number of cars produced has not been established. No continuing corporate structure, later model range, surviving parent company, or modern successor brand is identified in the available reference material. As a result, Vee Gee is best understood as a historically limited British automotive marque rather than an active contemporary brand. Its significance lies mainly in illustrating the diversity of Britain's early cyclecar industry and the effort by small manufacturers to combine motorcycle-derived power units with car-like chassis and transmissions.

Vee Gee emerged in Leeds, Yorkshire, during the early-1910s cyclecar boom. The marque was associated with Vernon Gash, whose name supplied the vehicle's distinctive designation. Cyclecars were small, lightweight vehicles that typically used motorcycle-derived engines and simplified car construction. They appealed to buyers seeking a cheaper and more economical form of motoring than a full-sized automobile, while also allowing small manufacturers to enter the market without the industrial resources required for mass automobile production. The Vee Gee's known production period was 1913. Its engineering was reportedly more substantial than that of many contemporary cyclecars. Instead of relying on an especially basic frame or transmission arrangement, it used a tubular metal chassis and an air-cooled 8 hp V-twin JAP engine. The engine was coupled to a conventional three-speed transmission. A transmission shaft then connected the gearbox to a worm-gear final drive, creating a drivetrain layout with several features associated with larger cars while retaining the compactness and light weight expected of a cyclecar. The car's bodywork was open, and its occupants sat on a single bench seat. Promotional claims stated that the seat could accommodate three people, though the surviving account does not establish whether this was a practical standard configuration or simply a selling point. The listed price was 110 guineas, or £115.50, placing the Vee Gee within the period's market for relatively affordable small vehicles. The manufacturer also indicated that a Sports model was intended, but the model apparently did not reach production. There is no reliable production total for the marque. The available historical record does not identify a substantial subsequent model range, factory expansion, merger, or continuation after 1913. Vee Gee therefore appears to have been one of the many small British cyclecar ventures that briefly entered the market before disappearing. Its short lifespan and limited documentation make it difficult to reconstruct the company's commercial organization or customer base, but its mechanical specification shows an attempt to offer a properly engineered light car rather than merely a motorized carriage. The marque is now defunct. Its historical importance is local and specialist: it represents the experimental character of Britain's pre-First World War automotive sector and the role played by small firms in developing low-cost personal transport. The number of vehicles built, the locations of surviving examples, and the extent of actual sales remain unknown.

• 1913

  Vee Gee cyclecar introduced

  [1]Vee Geeen.wikipedia.org

  Vernon Gash's Leeds-based marque produced its known cyclecar during 1913, using an 8 hp air-cooled JAP V-twin engine, a three-speed transmission, a tubular metal frame, and worm-gear final drive.

• 1913

  Sports model proposed

  [1]Vee Geeen.wikipedia.org

  A Sports version was reportedly promised, but available historical accounts indicate that it was probably never manufactured.

• 1913

  Production apparently ends

  [1]Vee Geeen.wikipedia.org

  The marque is documented as an early cyclecar made in 1913 only. Its total production volume is unknown.

A lightweight British cyclecar positioned as a relatively well-engineered and compact alternative to larger early motor cars.

• Cyclecar · 1913

  Vee Gee cyclecar

  The principal and apparently only produced Vee Gee model was an open British cyclecar built in 1913. It used a tubular metal frame and an air-cooled 8 hp V-twin JAP engine. A conventional three-speed gearbox transmitted power through a shaft to a worm-gear final drive. The open body incorporated a single bench seat claimed to be capable of carrying three people. The quoted price was 110 guineas, or £115.50. A Sports derivative was proposed but probably never entered production.

1. 1Vee Geeen.wikipedia.org