TWOMBLY CYCLECAR

. A number of auto makers manufactured these unique vehicles to address the needs of buyers who were looking for a means of transportation lower in cost than conventional automobiles. Additionally, registration taxes were based on vehicle weight and engine displacement. Lighter in weight and with smaller, less powerful engines, Cyclecars were less costly to buy and taxed at a lower rate.

A typical Cyclecar such as one type which was manufactured by the Pennsylvania firm of Driggs-Seabury Ordinance from 1913 to 1915 had a two seats in tandem displacement and an under slung body. Cyclecars of various manufacture were all powered by either a single cylinder, V-Twin, a four cylinder or a motorcycle engine.

Note that the tandem two-seater configuration and engine type gave the impression that the vehicle was actually a hybrid type of motorcycle-automobile combination.

Cyclecars enjoyed a limited popularity for a time and were even entered in races restricted to these vehicles

. During the brief heyday of the Cyclecars, they were manufactured in many countries such as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Spain, France and England. In fact, the most prolific producers of Cyclecars were the English.

The demise of the Cyclecar was hastened by the Ford Motor Company's Model T. Ford advertised the Model T's advantages over the Cyclecar one of which was the Ford being sold at a price very near to the Cyclecar. Additionally, the Model T offered superior comfort and roadability. By the early 1920s, the Cyclecar was but a curious memory.