Raleigh Cycle Company

 Automotive manufacturer Nottingham United Kingdom; From 1903 to 1934.

Raleigh Cycle Company is the name of a British vehicle manufacturer, founded in 1887 by Frank Bowden in Nottingham and initially produced bicycles.

History 

The company Raleigh was named after the street in which it was located, Raleigh Street. The company also produced motorized tricycles, laying the foundations for the establishment of this type of vehicle in the United Kingdom. Leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.

In 1903 they created the Raleigh Raleighette , a early motorized 3-wheel tricycle with chain drive, in which the driver sat on the rear drive wheel and the passenger in front of him in a wicker seat between the two front wheels . 

The 1921 Motor Taxation Act gave tricycles a special status in United Kingdom tax law. After Raleigh had initially supplied parts, the company acquired in 1930 the rights to the vehicle and called its version Light Delivery derived from Ivy Karryall the Van designed by T.  Williams, in principle a motorcycle with cabin for driver and cargo, the drive was made by a chain. The engine was a 598cc single-cylinder and the payload was 5cwt. The model was produced for three years. In 1933 a two-seat variant was introduced of the Light Delivery Van. This year also saw the first three-wheel automobile.

In the same year, the 3-wheel tricycle car Safety Seven, an open four-seater with an aluminium body on an ash wood frame, was created. The approximately 17 hp (12.5 kW) strong, 742 cc two-cylinder engine directed the power through a drive shaft to the rear wheels and accelerated the vehicle to over 55mph (80 km / h). The Raleigh Saloon Offers adjustable drivers seat safety glass winscreen with 50-60 mpg .Because of its low consumption , the Safety Seven was popular, and a closed variant was also provided.

However, Raleigh decided in 1934 to stop production of motorized vehicles and concentrate only on bicycles. The chief designer T. L. Williams took over the tools and the remaining parts and began his own production of tricycle vehicles under the name Reliant. With the Reliant Regent, the concept of the Karryall was initially continued, and starting in 1954, the Reliant Regal, which became the forefather of the well-known Reliant Robin.