Avro monocar motorcycle

Made:
1926 in London
maker:
A V Roe and Company Limited
The Avro monocar 2.5 h.p., 1926

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The Avro monocar 2.5 h.p., 1926
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

The Avro monocar 2.5 h.p., 1926.

This unusual two-wheeled monocar was intended to be to prototype for a form of economical transport combining motorcycle simplicity with motor car comfort. It did not cme into production, but it may be regarded as a forerunner of the scooter-type vehicles which became widely used after 1945.

This is an original design by Sir Alliott Verdon Roe and probably intended as a prototype for future production. Roe was best known as an English pioneer pilot and aircraft manufacturer, founder of the Avro Company in 1910. After finding success working with aircraft he turned his attention to his other passion, motorcycles.

The design shared the premise of the earlier Ner-a-Car (viewed by Alliott as being too near a motorcycle) and shows the continued desire for an alteration in the motorcycle design. This vehicle was personally used by Roe over many thousands of miles between Southampton and Manchester.

Details

Category:
Road Transport
Object Number:
1953-382
type:
motor cycles
credit:
Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe.