RUMCars Forum

General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Bob Purton on June 19, 2014, 03:39:47 PM

Title: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Bob Purton on June 19, 2014, 03:39:47 PM
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photo-Colliday-Chariot-microcar-driven-by-the-designer-Mr-R-G-Collier-1968-/171357498088?pt=UK_Car_Parts_Vehicles_Automobila_ET&hash=item27e5b3eae8

This is a new one on me. Is it familiar to anyone?
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Garybond on June 19, 2014, 03:44:53 PM
Is that a tow hitch at the front
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Bob Purton on June 19, 2014, 03:46:27 PM
Don't know but just found this footage.
 http://www.britishpathe.com/video/commuter-car/query/Sutton

A bit sexist as it suggests women drivers cant use gears! ;D
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Barry on June 19, 2014, 03:53:50 PM
Interesting

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Colliday+Chariot+microcar+driven+by+the+designer,+Mr+R+G+Collier,+1968&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=M_miU7raGK_B7Aag8oG4Bg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1920&bih=946#q=Colliday+Chariot&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgrc=c7FVT-eycxyzUM%253A%3B5JHl-1K0wDuS5M%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fc2.staticflickr.com%252F8%252F7255%252F7567528844_30638f8dfb_z.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.flickr.com%252Fphotos%252Fmrscharroo%252F7567528844%252F%3B640%3B564
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: richard on June 19, 2014, 06:21:15 PM
she really didn't look much in control though did she  :) what engine was that i don't think i have come across it before , it's not a common one is it . 250cc automatic from 1968 hmmm ?
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Jean on June 19, 2014, 07:30:39 PM
the Collicar was featured in RUMCAR NEWS No.25 (Summer 1990).  You all should know by now where to find information on unusual cars! Jean
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: richard on June 19, 2014, 08:30:04 PM
my subject again jean  ;) but wikipedia doesn't seem to know Collicar ! it does however recognise Colliday Chariot and a link from there brings a little more engine information

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrscharroo/7567528844/in/photostream/
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Bob Purton on June 19, 2014, 09:01:05 PM
the Collicar was featured in RUMCAR NEWS No.25 (Summer 1990).  You all should know by now where to find information on unusual cars! Jean

My RCN library doesn't go back that far Jean.
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: richard on June 19, 2014, 09:17:29 PM
he raided the parts bins , i recognise the grill , and of course the indicators  ;), but whats that radiator grill from ? the front bumper appears to be the two ends of something larger .
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Bob Purton on June 19, 2014, 10:01:06 PM
My guess would be Morris minor for both grill and bumper.
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Rob Dobie on June 19, 2014, 11:40:27 PM
what engine was that i don't think i have come across it before , it's not a common one is it . 250cc automatic from 1968 hmmm ?

From Rum Car News ...... "the Colliday Charriot was featured on Tomorrows World in December 1968 when they were looking for backer to get the project off the ground. This prototype had a 273cc Briggs and Stratton side valve industrial engine rated at 7bhp. It drove the single front wheel through centrifugal clutch and infinitely variable belt gearing ( generally similar to the system used for the Mobylette and Triumph Tina."
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: blob on June 20, 2014, 03:30:43 PM
A few years ago I was in contact with the designers daughter Kathy, as I thought the Chariot was initially a one off, however there were more than one built.

Heres her story:

Dad worked at Norton Motors until they broke up and moved down to Plumstead. He bought much of the stores from there, as they were apparently putting a hammer thro' all the castings.

He then worked from home repairing bikes and anything else that needed an imaginitive mind. He had the idea for the commuter car and started to work on it, said the cities would get too crowded and a smaller runabout was needed !! His long time friend Jim Fereday (I think he was the founder of Feredax, but not positive on that) pushed him to develop the idea and it eventually got to the production stage. The ministry of transport then wanted 2 full models to test and destroy and there was just not enough money for that, so it all ground to a standstill.

There was a lot of interest at the time, just not enough money!

Dad had always been a biker, into Trials riding, in which he was quite well known. He always designed new ideas for ground clearance, and weight reduction, and innovative engine design. His bikes were all ''RGC Specials'' and he got as much pleasure from design as he did from competition.
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Bob Purton on June 20, 2014, 03:49:17 PM
Ah, I thought it may have been the one we were discussing at Boston Mike.
A lot of these tales have a familiar thread but they all seem to have the notion that a small commuter vehicle is exclusively there idea, no one else had thought of it before them! Its amazing that this came along as late as 1968 when all the other exclusive idea microcars had been and gone. I wonder if he lost his life's savings over it like most of the others
Shame nothing came of it because it does have a certain charm.
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Stuart Cyphus on June 20, 2014, 06:27:54 PM
 Funnily enough, for the past ten years I have been researching all the weird & wonderful "City car" projects that sprang up in the UK from the mid 1960s right through to the mid 1970s, including such objects as the Winn City Bike, the Dawson-Sellars Car, the AC Town Cars, and of course the many and varied creations of Bob Colliday and Jim Faraday to name but four examples.

 After ten years I have a drawer full of details and snippets on all these vehicles and hope to finally produce it as some sort of publication in the fairly near future. Stay tuned for developments......... 

 Mike, I'd be very interested to talk to you about Bob Coliday's daughter. Is she still around do you know?
Title: Re: The Colliday Chariot.
Post by: Big Al on June 20, 2014, 06:58:19 PM
Indeed an interesting topic and one that could star a very numerous and varied cast.

As to this one. No help at all. Fun styling but I am not sure it would have suited Britain. It looks more suited to somewhere a bit sunnier. Nice Surrey top on bombing around a balmy coastal resort.