1915 Enfield 10hp Tourer

• Stored as part of a collection for many years
• Original body, wings and interior
• Engine and gearbox rebuilt
• New wiring loom and Dynastart
• Recently recommissioned and 'on the button'

The origins of the Royal Enfield marque can be traced back to a small light engineering firm - George Townsend & Company - founded in Hunt End, near the Worcestershire town of Redditch, in mid-Victorian times. The firm moved into bicycle manufacture during the late Victorian boom years and by the turn of the Century had been reorganised as the Enfield Cycle Company, makers of the 'Royal Enfield'.

The Redditch company built its first powered vehicles - De Dion-engined tricycles and quadricycles - in the closing years of the 19th Century, and its first motorcycles around 1900. By 1904 the firm was concentrating on car production, resuming motorcycle manufacture in 1910 with a 2¼hp v-twin Motosacoche-powered lightweight. Royal Enfield's quadricycles were produced from the late 1890s until 1905 and employed single-cylinder De Dion engines of varying sizes and power outputs. The company obviously possessed abundant faith in its products, as one of the quads, crewed by Messrs Iliffe and Grew, was entered in the Automobile Club of Britain and Ireland's Thousand Miles Trail of 1900 (London to Edinburgh and back), which it successfully completed, winning a silver medal.

In 1905 the car manufacturing side of the business was spun off and reconstituted as the Enfield Autocar Company Ltd, which switched from producing light cars to making much larger models. Hit by the general downturn in demand of 1907/1908, Enfield was acquired by Alldays & Onions. Production of Enfield models continued for a couple of years before being phased out, subsequent Enfields being re-badged versions of Alldays' more upmarket designs. The last Enfield cars were offered in 1915.

Stored as part of a collection for many years, this very rare Enfield cycle car is powered by a four-cylinder engine driving via a three-speeds-and-reverse gearbox, and retains its original factory body and interior. The engine and gearbox have been rebuilt and are now in full running order, while the radiator has been reconditioned, as has the magneto. The wiring loom and Dynastart are new, and all lights, etc are working. Four new tyres and tubes have been fitted,

The Enfield was acquired by the present owner from Ireland in 2021; it was previously registered 'IK 215' and is now registered 'WC 1403' after being dated 1915 for the DVLA application. All import taxes have been paid (copy available) and there is an extensive file of information with the car.

Finished in green with black wings, this is a highly useable late 'Edwardian' light car, ideal for VCC events.