Ner-a-car Pictures
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This is a US model that was restored in 2001, and it is now in the Syracuse, N.Y. Neracar Museum, along with a 4-stroke English model that was restored just before it. Some background is included below, written by the obviously skillful man Ken Philp.
“We bought it in this country, but it had been brought to an auction over here from Paris, and we got it from the guy who bought it at the auction. It was in reasonable condition except for the tyres. We soon had the engine running, and then restored it. The eventual expensive problem was getting the ignition coils rewound. Why was it in Paris? The English licence didn’t permit sales to Europe, so apart from the English Colonies they were all US models.
On the front mudguard there is a brass plaque with the address of the French importers on it. The address is on a horse-shoe shaped piece of brass, and on removal of this piece there is another address underneath. The importer had obviously moved premises! I have a modern photo of both these addresses sent by a French enthusiast. We have no history of the bike except that it seemed to have spent its life in Paris.
After restoration, we rode it in the 2001 Banbury Run, where it won the Trophy for the bike of greatest technical interest. We had ELEVEN Ner-a-Cars there as it was the 80th year since they were introduced. We also had the American inventors Grandson over to flag us off at the Start. When I say “We” the owner was G.S.Mayhew, the proprietor of North Leicester Motorcycles at Ellistown, Leics, the Moto Morini specialists, who is a close friend. Having run it for some time, Stuart hatched a plan – take it to Montlhery, just South of Paris, where it lived for many years, and ride it in the Coupe des Legends, which he did. There’s a nice photo of him riding it there in the Photo Gallery on my website (http://www.neracar.co.uk). Then he advertised it, and it went to the Neracar Museum in Syracuse, N.Y., USA, which is where the US models were built.
They had also bought a Model C which we restored – that has a 350cc s.v. Blackburne engine. There’s a photo of that, FG 716, on the website too. That won a Trophy for its rider, Stuart’s older son, in 2001 – he was the youngest rider to complete the Banbury on his first attempt.
I have had my own since September, and in this years Banbury, Stuarts younger son and myself rode on similar bikes, the 221cc Model A. We both won Gold Awards for completing the 56 miles without time penalties at an average speed of 20mph. Chris also got the Trophy for the youngest rider to get a Gold Award. There’s a photo of me at the Banbury also on the website.
So there’s a bit about Ner-a-Cars! If you want more, you’ll need my book!”
There’s a nice video of a neracar in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-fK2igKHV0 too.
