British

Crescent Cyclecars UK

Britannia Works, Pleck Road, Walsall, and in 1913 moved to Smethwick, Birmingham

Crescent cyclecars were produced from 1911, initially powered by 8.hp JAP V-twin engines. In 1914 they advertised machines with 8-10 h.p. watercooled engines. priced at £127.

"In December 1912 B.N. Bailey won a gold medal in the very first cyclecar trial, along a 100 mile route from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon, and back." (historywebsite.co.uk)

Graces Guide states, "Few details are available regarding the machine produced, but it was probably built as a batch for war service and would have been a utilitarian model produced by Rudge-Whitworth. It was powered by a 269cc Villiers two-stroke engine with separate magneto for ignition, and belt drive. The specification was very basic and it would have been very different from the up-market Rudge image."

The New Crescent motorcycle of 1912 is unrelated.

Sources: Graces Guide, historywebsite.co.uk.

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