LOT 726
Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection 1905 Rex 8hp Tricar Registration no. EL 3480 Frame no. 10221 Engine no. A52
Sold for £19,550 inc. premium
Lot 726
Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection, 1905 Rex 8hp TricarRegistration no. EL 3480 Frame no. 10221 Engine no. A52
Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection
1905 Rex 8hp Tricar
Registration no. EL 3480
Frame no. 10221
Engine no. A52
1905 Rex 8hp Tricar
Registration no. EL 3480
Frame no. 10221
Engine no. A52
• Early tricar from one of Britain's premier makes
• Acquired by the NMM in 2001
• An older restoration
"In 1903 a motorcycle-based tricar was made, becoming more car-like in 1904 when it was called the Rexette. This had a seat for the driver instead of a saddle, a water-cooled single-cylinder engine and a 2-speed gearbox. In 1905 it became even more car-like, with a steering wheel and brakes on all three wheels." – The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile, Volume 3.
An innovative marque from the time of its inception in 1899 as a motor manufacturer, Rex demonstrated its first motorcycle in 1900 while continuing to make automobiles and tricars. The Coventry-based firm was soon active in all types of motorcycle competition, including the inaugural 1907 Isle of Man TT where Billy Heaton's sprung-fork Rex finished 2nd in the twin-cylinder class. Prior to that Rex had exploited the valuable publicity that accrued from the popular long-distance events of the day, in particular the famous Lands End to John O'Groats journey between the most southerly and northerly parts of mainland Britain. Brothers Billy and Harold Williamson were in charge of Rex at this time, as managing and sales directors respectively, and it was the latter who in 1904 established a new record for this 880-mile marathon, which in those days involved travel over rough, un-surfaced and often treacherous roads. Riding a 3¼hp (approximately 380cc) Rex, Williamson took 48 hours 36 minutes, which included lengthy stops to repair punctures, beating the existing mark by 2½ hours.
Rex continued manufacturing its own power units until the early 1920s, after which proprietary engines became the norm. By this time neighbours Coventry Acme had been taken over and in the next few years the ranges were rationalised, the 'Rex-Acme' name being adopted in 1921. In 1923 the firm signed rising star Walter Handley, a move that would set Rex-Acme on the road to racing success in Grands Prix and at the Isle of Man TT. With some justification the firm incorporated the 'Three Legs of Man' into its tank badge. Handley's 1927 Senior win was to prove Rex-Acme's swansong TT victory, for despite all its racetrack successes the firm became a casualty of the Depression, and although there was a brief revival was gone for good by 1933.
Dating from the firm's Edwardian heyday, this 1905 Rexette Tricar is powered by a water-cooled v-twin engine and features Lucas 'King of the Road' lighting. An older restoration, the vehicle was acquired by the NMM in January 2001 and is offered with an old-style V5C document. The machine's mechanical condition is not known; accordingly, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to its condition, completeness, correctness, or otherwise prior to bidding.
• Acquired by the NMM in 2001
• An older restoration
"In 1903 a motorcycle-based tricar was made, becoming more car-like in 1904 when it was called the Rexette. This had a seat for the driver instead of a saddle, a water-cooled single-cylinder engine and a 2-speed gearbox. In 1905 it became even more car-like, with a steering wheel and brakes on all three wheels." – The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile, Volume 3.
An innovative marque from the time of its inception in 1899 as a motor manufacturer, Rex demonstrated its first motorcycle in 1900 while continuing to make automobiles and tricars. The Coventry-based firm was soon active in all types of motorcycle competition, including the inaugural 1907 Isle of Man TT where Billy Heaton's sprung-fork Rex finished 2nd in the twin-cylinder class. Prior to that Rex had exploited the valuable publicity that accrued from the popular long-distance events of the day, in particular the famous Lands End to John O'Groats journey between the most southerly and northerly parts of mainland Britain. Brothers Billy and Harold Williamson were in charge of Rex at this time, as managing and sales directors respectively, and it was the latter who in 1904 established a new record for this 880-mile marathon, which in those days involved travel over rough, un-surfaced and often treacherous roads. Riding a 3¼hp (approximately 380cc) Rex, Williamson took 48 hours 36 minutes, which included lengthy stops to repair punctures, beating the existing mark by 2½ hours.
Rex continued manufacturing its own power units until the early 1920s, after which proprietary engines became the norm. By this time neighbours Coventry Acme had been taken over and in the next few years the ranges were rationalised, the 'Rex-Acme' name being adopted in 1921. In 1923 the firm signed rising star Walter Handley, a move that would set Rex-Acme on the road to racing success in Grands Prix and at the Isle of Man TT. With some justification the firm incorporated the 'Three Legs of Man' into its tank badge. Handley's 1927 Senior win was to prove Rex-Acme's swansong TT victory, for despite all its racetrack successes the firm became a casualty of the Depression, and although there was a brief revival was gone for good by 1933.
Dating from the firm's Edwardian heyday, this 1905 Rexette Tricar is powered by a water-cooled v-twin engine and features Lucas 'King of the Road' lighting. An older restoration, the vehicle was acquired by the NMM in January 2001 and is offered with an old-style V5C document. The machine's mechanical condition is not known; accordingly, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to its condition, completeness, correctness, or otherwise prior to bidding.
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