1930s Watsonian Sidecar Model No 7

Tandems with sidecars were a common sight on the roads of Britain during the 1930s, particularly in the north, where motor cars were less common. It was an ideal way for parents to transport their young family to the seaside for the weekend. The distance, for example, between Scarborough and Blackpool, two favourite northern holiday destinations on opposite coasts, is 134 miles. So even if you lived in Leeds, in the centre of the country, you could cover half that distance to reach the sea in four hours including stops for refreshments.

When our daughter was young we tried out the idea of cycling with her in a sidecar (below) but she didn’t like it. I was lucky to get this photo of her inside a sidecar in the few minutes before she started complaining 🙂

1930s Watsonian Sidecar

Model No 7 Single Seater

LENGTH: 54″

HEIGHT 31″

WIDTH: 29″

I bought this beautiful original Watsonian cycle sidecar in 2006, with the intention of fitting it to a small motorcycle. But I could never decide which one was worthy of such a fine sidecar, so in the end it has remained unused. After buying the Watsonian pedal car some years ago, it became its companion piece to illustrate the similarities and differences between the two aluminium body styles.

As you can see, it is in excellent condition all round, with a hood that rolls up or down.