1913 Premier Model No 6 Lady’s Popular

1913 Premier Model No 6 Lady’s Popular

24″ Frame

28″ Wheels

Premier patent 3 Flat Section Mudguards

(Now sold)

This Lady’s Popular Premier features the unique Premier 3 flat section mudguards, and a rear carrier rack with wicker basket to use for shopping and picnics. During WW1, many more women used bicycles for errands. As a Sunbeam catalogue of the era commented:

‘The war has brought parcel carriers into fashion. Ladies are now using bicycles for shopping.’

It has lost its transfers (decals), either with age, or it might have been repainted a long time ago. The Premier is in good all round condition and ready to ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Premier Cycle Co was proud of its Royal connection. As well as providing bicycles for the Royal Family and the British aristocracy, according to the list of patrons below the company also supplied various military regiments, including The Black Watch, The Scots Greys, The Grenadier Guards, The Coldstream Guards and The Second Middlesex. (The Coldstream Guards are listed in Premier’s List of Patrons for 1910, but not in the 1914 list below).

It’s unlikely that all these patrons approached Premier individually, ie preferring this company rather than all the other leading manufacturers. The usual practice for cycle manufacturers was to provide each patron with a bicycle on approval, with an option to either return the bicycle after trying it out, buy it outright, or purchase it on hire purchase. Whether patrons remained in such a list if they used the bicycle but then returned it without purchase is open to question. In any case, I’m sure the company’s arrangements with titled customers was quite flexible.