The Robert Lusk Motorcycle Collection, 1899 Rochet 2¾hp Motor Tricycle

• Rare, academically documented, and sympathetically restored
• Can be used in both the London to Brighton veteran car and motorcycle runs

At the dawn of the motor age, De Dion Bouton's lightweight tricycles spearheaded the first great motoring boom. By the late 1890s they were being produced in their thousands, not only by De Dion themselves but also by a host of ambitious cycle manufacturers across France. Among the most respected was Compagnie Générale des Cycles et Automobiles Rochet of Paris, whose products were admired for both quality and engineering ingenuity.

Formed in Paris as Rochet was one of the foremost cycle makers to embrace motorisation during the pioneering years of the French motor industry. Like many of its contemporaries, Rochet adopted the proven De Dion Bouton power unit but went its own way in chassis design, employing a distinctive pressed-steel sleeve to secure the lower frame tube directly to the differential housing. This detail allows historians to identify Rochet machines with confidence even when other components were shared with rival makers.

The machine offered here – frame no. 32687, engine no. 4745 – is a beautifully preserved and well-documented survivor. Its engine is a De Dion Bouton 2¾hp unit with a 74mm bore, fitted with a Brissard water-cooled cylinder head (a development of circa-1900 production) and a period Longuemare spray carburettor. An extended rear-mounted tank incorporates divisions for petrol, oil, and water.

In January 2009, motoring historian and veteran authority Malcolm Jeal produced a detailed report (copy on file) examining the machine and identifying it unequivocally as a Rochet product. Jeal concluded that while some components may have been updated around 1900, the overall configuration is consistent with what Rochet would have offered in period.

Further corroboration came in 2015 when the Veteran Car Club Dating Advisory Committee undertook a full examination, producing a 45-page Vehicle Identification and Dating Opinion Report (VCC File 3692). This document confirms that the majority of major components – including frame, crankcases, rear axle, and controls – date from 1899, thereby making the machine fully eligible and an early starter for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and other prestigious veteran events.

Its modern history began in 2007 when it was purchased from the Sidecar Museum in Italy by the late Robert Lusk, complete with a period trailer attachment. The Rochet was then entrusted to renowned veteran specialists NP Veteran Engineering for a thorough mechanical restoration. Detailed job sheets accompany the machine and record over £12,000 of work, including crankcase and bearing restoration, new gudgeon pins and pistons, heat-treatment of the crankshaft, reconditioned oilers, water-tank repair, and fitting of new Ensign tyres, tubes, ignition components, and other refinements.

Once restored, the Rochet returned to active use and has enjoyed a vibrant life on the veteran motoring scene. It successfully completed the 2011 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (photograph at the finish included in the file) and was an invited participant at the 120th Anniversary reenactment of Britain's first motor race, held at Brooklands on 29th November 2017, where it carried race number '2'. The race plate bearing the official event title is offered with the lot.

The Rochet comes with an outstanding history file that includes: V5C; old style V5C; old MoT certificates; Malcolm Jeal's 2009 report; the 45-page VCC Vehicle Identification and Dating Report; two VCC Veteran Passports (2010 and 2012); a dating letter from Mike Worthington-Williams; Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club Pioneer Certificate (no. 1845); and invoices and job sheets for the restoration.

Rare, academically documented, and sympathetically restored, this Rochet 2¾hp Motor Tricycle represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire one of the finest surviving examples of the type. Its eligibility for the prestigious Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club Pioneer Run and London to Brighton Veteran Car Run – as well as other premier veteran events -makes it a particularly desirable proposition for the serious collector.

Prospective buyers should please note that whilst Robert actively started and maintained his collection, all machines are offered as requiring recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent.
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