by Stan Mott (published by permission)
“There is nothing wrong with a three wheel car that adding a fourth wheel wouldn’t fix.”
Don’t tell the builder of the vehicle in the video. (We tried to locate the owner of this video, but failed. I would be glad to give you credit.)
I have movies of about 10 three wheel cars that the government tested for handling and safety several years ago. I can guarantee you that almost all of them would be upside down in the corner if they ever tried this. They put extra side training wheels on several of them to protect the test drivers from certain disaster.
LOL!
Inspiration for the above cartoon came during a dinner with Doug Blain and Ian Frazier after the 1975 Geneva Automobile Show. Doug and Ian were the founders and editors of the then outrageous England-based Car magazine. We were discussing funny cars. I suggested three wheelers were the funniest, and any additional wheels wouldn’t help. “Not unless you had one in front and three in back.” said Frazier. During the ensuing raucous laughter the above cartoon flashed in my head. Credit was given in the lower righthand corner of the last panel “Patent Pending Ian Frazier”.
PS:
That video of the manic 3 wheeler spinning doughnuts during a “competition” is one of the funniest ever made…starring the funniest 3 wheeler ever made. It used to be the Bond 850, then the Peel P50. But this machine, and the driver spinning doughnuts on two wheels, takes the cake! Particularly funny is the damn thing is really fast!
It captures the Cyclops spirit. So we here in the Automobili Cyclops SpA Propaganda Department magnanimously bless the creator.
Pity there isn’t an annual trophy for the funniest car of the year. Too much disagreement and violence, I presume.
If you haven’t seen it, watch the Jeremy Clarkson road test of the Peel P50; he drives it around inside the BBC studios. Excellent!
Clarkson later road tests the P45, so “small” he wears it like a suit of armor. As such, it’s more of an armored motorbike, and not a “car” as we know cars.
Ron:
The few years ago was 1980. Report was published in 1980 so testing was done probably earlier? A three-wheeler with 2 front and 1 rear wheel behaves more like a 4 wheeler.
Have we all seen the Top Gear segment with Jeremy Clarkson (intentionally) rolling over the Robin Reliant? Repeatedly? Hilarious fun.
As a 50-year fan of Stan Mott’s work, I was surprised to see this piece for the first time. It’s uniquely hilarious, as is the video of the racing (?) trike.
Thank for brightening my morning!