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Thursday, September 17, 2009

1900

This post is part of the Royal Enfield Virtual museum. If you don't know what that is, visit the museum, you will be able to return here easily. ============================

At the Stanley Cycle Show in November 1900, the Enfield Cycle Company unveiled three motor vehicles. Two quadricycles and a tricycle. All had 2.75hp De Dion engines. One of the quads was now water cooled with beautiful finned copper radiators on the sides and had a comfortable seat in the back rather than the saddle earlier models had displayed. It had the new Enfield two speed gear which had a double cone one could slide to the right or left and engage the different ratios. The vehicle was somewhat longer and wider than previous models. It was named the "Auto-Quad".

An Enfield quadricycle completed in April the 1,000-miles road trial of 1900 organized by the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. The Enfield vehicle of Edward Iliffe (No A28) was awarded a silver medal, although it had its share of troubles and breakdowns. Mr. Iliffe (later the magnate Baron Iliffe) published at the time the magazine Autocar and later would publish the well known magazine "The Motor Cycle". This road trial played an important part in convincing the general population in the UK that the motor vehicle was a serious transportation proposition rather than a toy for rich kids, and Enfield's presence there conferred quite a bit of prestige to the company.

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