Warne (car)
The Warne was a British 4-wheeled cyclecar made from 1912 to 1915 by Pearsall Warne Ltd at the Icknield Works in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.
| Warne 8 | |
|---|---|
 1914 Warne | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Pearsall Warne Ltd |
| Production | 1912-1915 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | cyclecar |
| Body style | two seat open |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | JAP V twin cylinder 964 or 1070 cc[1] also Precision V-twin of 964cc in air-cooled or water-cooled form |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 78 in (1,981 mm) or 84 in (2,134 mm)[1] |
| Length | 114 in (2,896 mm)[1] |
| Width | 50 in (1,270 mm)[1] |
The car had a lightweight two-seat open body with full weather equipment. The car was launched in 1912 fitted with a JAP, V twin air-cooled engine of 964 cc with an RAC horsepower rating of 8 hp.[2] but by the 1913 Olympia show the company had swapped to using F.E. Baker Ltd Precision 50 degree V-twin engines of 964cc.[3] One model had the air cooled version of the engine, and the other used the water-cooled version.
In the original car the drive was to the rear wheels by belts, but the water-cooled version for 1913 had a 3-speed with reverse gearbox, the air-cooled version retaining the belt system. The suspension used half elliptic leaf springs all round.
The engine size increased to 1070 cc in 1915.
It originally cost £99.[4] The 1914 models with Precison engines were £120 for the air-cooled version and £130 for the water-cooled version. The air-cooled version was given a conventional appearance by fitting a dummy radiator.
In mid 1913 six cars a week were being made.[4]
References
- Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-16689-2.
- The Warne Cyclecar, Motor Sport, February 1964, p85
- The Olympia Show, The Motor Cycle, 27th November 1913, p1591
- Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.