Looking for a Whitwood

Thanks for publishing the pictures of RV5399, a Portsmouth County Borough Council number issued in 1934. This was probably the prototype Whitwood, which I think was retained by the factory. The picture must have been taken much later, judging by the battered state of the bodywork.

In the late 1990s, I interviewed an elderly man from Portsmouth called George Marner who had the privilege of riding as a passenger almost daily in the prototype Monocar when he worked at the factory. In his later years, he had difficulty persuading his doubting friends that a two wheeled car ever existed. I gave him a copy of the Whitwood sales catalogue which persuaded them he was telling the truth after all! I suspect this sole example may still exist in a private collection somewhere.

The 'overhead' shot shows that you needed to be on exceptionally good terms with your passenger when 'two up' in a Whitwood. In 1934 the young lady would doubtless have informed the sporting owner accordingly: 'If you think I'm getting in there, you'd better think again!' It's not surprising it did not sell. I do not know what the Whitwood cost, but in 1934 you could buy a perfectly good two or three year old Austin Seven for £60 or even less, and most real motorcycle enthusiasts would settle for a sidecar (that could usually be detached when necessary) rather than be seen by his mates when piloting this contraption. (No offence to Mr Shelly!).