car/bike hybreds

[redshoes]

I was at Brands Hatch today and after the Legends race the commentator was waffling on about various bike-engined cars or even car-engined bikes. One example he mentioned got me interested.

Back in the 60s (?) someone called Greenwood (?) built a motorcycle/sidecar outfit based out of a Mini. It went on to be unbeatable until eventually banned, something to do with wheel alignment. That's all a bit vague, parly because I was struggling to hear the PA and partly because the storytelling was a bit vague. Sounds too barking mad to be true.

Anyone know the truth about this story. Did this car/bike beast really exist? Who built it, what happened to it, are there any pictures?

[Al Weyman]

I remember it, I actually watched it race at the first ever race I went to (I was a Rocker as in Mods and Rockers and it was a bike meeting, I would have been 16 so that would have been what 1964) it was at Mallory Park. The thing was basically as you describe a Mini subframe and running gear at the front and two close coupled wheels at the back. As I recollect it annialated the Sidecar field and was later judged as not in the spirit of the regs as i recollect and was banned which I must say I agreed with as it just did not look right amoungst the conventional outfits.

Of course the ultimate car engined bike must be the Boss Hog, a 400cu Chevy engined Harley!

[chunterer]

The earliest contraption I can remember was a 'Suzuki SC1000' special saloon with a bike engine in it in the early 80's. Can't remember who's it was though?

[jamesholland]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I was at Brands Hatch today and after the Legends race the commentator was waffling on about various bike-engined cars or even car-engined bikes. One example he mentioned got me interested.

Back in the 60s (?) someone called Greenwood (?) built a motorcycle/sidecar outfit based out of a Mini. It went on to be unbeatable until eventually banned, something to do with wheel alignment. That's all a bit vague, parly because I was struggling to hear the PA and partly because the storytelling was a bit vague. Sounds too barking mad to be true.

Anyone know the truth about this story. Did this car/bike beast really exist? Who built it, what happened to it, are there any pictures?

It was built by sidecar racer Owen Greenwood who had run Triumph powered outfits until then.It was indeed highly successful and eventually banned.
It's still around and I believe owned by Euan Cameron who has a number of hairy three wheelers including Halecs I and II.

[redshoes]

Thanks James. Now I've got a name to search with Google turned up this eBay item.

[Paul V]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The earliest contraption I can remember was a 'Suzuki SC1000' special saloon with a bike engine in it in the early 80's. Can't remember who's it was though?

This was built by Ben Bowlby and was for a whiles run in the Combe GT championship.

Last I saw of it was at the Summer sprint there a couple of years ago.