The global magazine and marketplace for classic car enthusiasts, by enthusiasts.
The global magazine and marketplace for classic car enthusiasts, by enthusiasts.
Three-wheelers, four-wheelers, rusty relics or gleaming showpieces; over the years, Festival of Slowth has presented us with just about everything imaginable. Yet some vehicles still manage to surprise us. This time, photographs arrived from the south of France showing a particularly puzzling machine, accompanied by one simple question: what exactly is it? The honest answer: we haven't the faintest idea.
At first glance, it appears to be a lightweight cyclecar or three-wheeler dating from the late 1920s or early 1930s. The streamlined bodywork, distinctive grille, motorcycle-style wire wheels and ventilation louvres in the flanks all point in that direction. But which marque built it? That is where the mystery begins.
D'Yrsan? Villars? Sandford? Or perhaps one of the dozens of small French manufacturers that often produced only a handful of vehicles before disappearing into obscurity? In the world of forgotten cyclecars and three-wheelers, names regularly surface that even seasoned enthusiasts recognise only vaguely. Then again, it could simply be a one-off home-built creation.
So, dear readers: do you recognise this mysterious three-wheeler? We would love to hear your clues, theories and well-reasoned guesses.