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• Auction House:
  Donington Auctions
• Sale Name:
  Collectors' Motorcycles & Cars (New South Wales)
• Sale Date:
  12 Dec 2021 ~ 12noon (AEDT)
• Lot #:
  8
• Lot Description:
  1922 Ner-A-Car Model - Rare radical hub-centre-steering vintage motorcycle
  The Ner-A-Car was the brainchild of American Carl A. Neracher. He believed a motorcycle should offer the rider above average weather protection, and improved stability due to a low centre of gravity. The result was the Ner-A-Car; a double pun on his name and a two-wheel vehicle as "near a car". Built from 1921-28, the Ner-A-Car sold a combined 16,500 units and remains the most successful hub-centre steered motorcycle ever built. Neracher had been an engineer with the Overland car factory (later merged with Willys) so when he first designed his radical hub-centre steered motorcycle in 1918 it wasn't surprising that he employed automotive technology. His motorcycle was designed from the start with a car-type chassis and fully enclosed bodywork to protect the rider, and steered with an automobile hub-centre style mechanism. This included an inclined kingpin housed in the centre of the front hub, the hub then coupled by a substantial linkage to the base of the steering column. In 1919 he received financial backing from razor-blade manufacturer King C Gillette but it would be a further two years before the first production models emerged from the works in Syracuse, New York. A licence was also signed with Sheffield-Simplex to manufacture the machine in Britain. Although Sheffield-Simplex had no experience building motorcycles, they had earned a reputation building quality luxury cars and set up a factory in the former Sopwith Aviation works in Kingston-on-Thames where the ill-fated ABC motorcycle was made. In the US the new motorcycle was sold as the "Neracar", and in Britain (and colonies except Canada) as the "Ner-A-Car". The Neracar featured an automobile-style chassis with two channel-section side member formed by sheet steel. The engine was a 221cc two-stroke single with the crankshaft in line with the chassis. The bore and stroke were 63.7x70mm, and with a Brown and Barlow carburettor the power was a modest 2.5 horsepower. Instead of a conventional gearbox drive was transmitted by a friction drive with a selection of five speeds, On the rearward end of the crankshaft, the outside flywheel served as a friction driving disc. A second disc, mounted at right-angles to the flywheel with its rim in contact with the flywheel face moved laterally along the keyed shaft. The farther the disc was moved away from the flywheel the faster it was driven This theoretically provided an infinitely variable primary drive but a lever engaged five alternative notches. The final drive was by chain. The Neracar rolled on a pair of 26-inch wheels, with only the rear including an internal expanding drum brake. While ostensibly a utility machine, with its cylindrical nine litre fuel tank under the seat the 75kg Neracar presented a surprising purity of line. Production commenced in 1921 and in November 1922 "Cannonball" Baker rode a Neracar from New York to Los Angeles, a distance of 5,420 kilometres in 27 days. He averaged 30 km/h, used only 2.7 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres and spent 174 hours in the saddle. In response to the limited top speed of only 72 km/h, the model B with a 285cc engine was released in England in 1923. A year later the model C came out, this powered by a 350cc Blackburne engine and fitted with a conventional clutch and gearbox. In 1924 the American Neracar saw its engine capacity increase to 255cc. In 1927 the curtain fell for the British Ner-A-Car, and a year later the last machine left the Syracuse factory. The machine on offer here is a British model that was first registered on October 9, 1922. British versions featured vertical front coil springs, these mounted on an angle on American examples. It's in exceptionally good mechanical condition. There's no wear distinguishable in the steering system and some items that are usually missing are still present, notably the metal protection sheet under the engine and the petrol collection tray under the carb. The machine is fitted with both electrical and acetylene lighting and a claxon horn from the "Metallic Presswork Co. Birmingham". The tax disc holder displays a 1929 disc, at which time, according to the old log book, the machine was owned by a Miss Alice F. Webb from Kingsholme, Colyford in Devon. This motorcycle is being sold unregistered
• Estimate:
  A$18,000 - 24,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.