Meadows
Meadows Frisky Prototype
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Manufacturer: |
Meadows |
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Years of production: |
1957 |
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Built: |
2 |
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Class: |
Prototype |
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Engine: |
250 c.c. |
| Wheelbase: | 5 ft. |
| length: | 9ft. 8in |
| width: | 4ft. 8in |
| Dry weight: | 6 1/4 cwt |
The Meadows Frisky "Everyman's Car" Prototype was first seen in 1957.
History
The car made its world début at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show. The revolutionary concept The" Everyman's Car Frisky " in engineering concepts and styling Meadows Frisky to accommodate two adults and three children .Built by the internationally known engineering firm of Henry Meadows Ltd.of Wolverhampton, a subsidiary of Associatcd British Engineering Ltd, of which the chairman is Mr. Lawrence W. Robson, production is backed by 40 years of expericnce in the automotive field.
It competes in low initial cost with any car in the world but at the same time it certainly has the most advanced and imaginative design and styling. The bodywork was designed by the well-known Italian designer, Giovanni Michelotti, in conjunction with the internationally famous firm of Vignale Of Turin, who built the prototype bodies. This small, four-wheeled, two-seater, utilized a moulded fibreglass shell with gull-wing doors The Villiers 250 air cooled twin-cylinder two- stroke engine which powers the " Frisky,"
The attractive lines of the Italian designed body incorporates the latest type gull-wing doors, which are hinged close to the centre line of the roof, allowing the maximum ease of
entrance. The windscreen is a complete wrap-round, giving perfect vision forward and this, combined with the large rear window, ensures the highest standard of visibility.
The chassis is of welded tubular steel, com. bining great rigidity with lightness in weight. The front suspension is independent, on the Dubonnet principle, using rubber in torsion. The rear suspension consists of two hydraulically damped coiled spring units attached to two radius arms which carry the live rear axle. The pivot bearings are heavy duty rubber bushes.
The car is powered with the Villiers Mk.2T, 249 c.c. twin'cylinder 2-stroke engine.incorporating the " Siba Dynastarter." This engine develops 15 b.h.p, at 5,500 rpm Fitted integrally with the engine is a 4-speed gearbox. It is of the constant-mesh pattern, with a positive stop gear-change mechanism. Internal ratios are 1.0, 1.32, 1.9 and 3.06 to one. The engine, reverses through the starter-generator which incorporates a special selector switch
The Villiers Type S,22 carburetter incorporates a cable operated strangler,The flywheel type starter generator is built on to the extremely robust crankshaft assembly and is linked with a 12-volt battery, which receives a regulated charging current when the enginc exceeds a speed of1,200 r,p.m. The engine reverses, through the starter. Transmission final drive is by roller chain direct to the solid rear axle, and the chain is housed in a scaled oil bath chain case on a brazed ladder-type chassis.
The brakes, with a braking power of some 230 sq. in. per ton,are effective. They are hydraulically operated, and require only very light pedalpressure, The handbrake operates direct on the two rear wheels.
Instrumentation includes speedometer, light controls, ignition warning. etc. Lights can be dipped dim or full ahead. All electrical services are from a 12-volt battery.The bench-type front seat is capable of seating two adults, plus a child. There are two seats at the rear for children or equivalent space for luggage. All seats are Dunlopillo unholstered, the front seat being adjustable in three positions. Normal maintenance has been cut to a minimum, there being only four grease nipples on the entire vehicle.
The overall dimensions of the body are 9ft. 8in. long, 4ft. 8in. wide, 4ft. 3in. high.The wheel bage is 5ft., front track 48in., rear track 34in. The weight of the car including 3 1/2 gallons of petrol is approximately 6cwts Fuel capacity is 3 1/2 gallons, including a controllable reserve, giving a range in excess of 220 miles.
The car will cruise at a steady 50 m.p.h. and average consumption, under touring conditions, is at least 75 m.p.g. This will prove an ideal car for the driver who requires economic motoring.
The " Frisky " had undergone a very successful 7-day, 24-hour-a-day, non-stop test, at 'the Oulton Park racing circuit. followed by stringent road tests to ensure
performance In total only two of these bodies were produced by Vignale, this design would be too expensive for mass production.
Meadows Frisky Frisky Sport
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Manufacturer: |
Meadows |
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Years of production: |
1953 to 1961 |
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Class: |
Sports car |
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Engine: |
324 c.c. |
| Wheelbase: | 5 ft. |
| length: | 9 ft 1 1/2 in. |
| width: | 4 ft. 7 1/2in. |
| Dry weight: | 6 1/4 cwt |
The Meadows Frisky and Frisky sport were small British cars built from 1957 to 1961.
History
The Henry Meadows Frisky was introduced as a prototype at the Geneva Show in March 1957
The Meadows Frisky undergone several changes in the design and construction of the body from the prototype. A considerable amount of development work has been undertaken with the original gull-wing door prototype. Overall fuel consumption on the road has aver-aged 53 m.p.g. Assembly is undertaken at the works Of Henry Meadows, all parts being brought in. Body panels are produced in heated, matched moulds by Guy Motors and Cascelloid, Ltd. With one set of moulds the production time cycle is 15 minutes for a set of body. Below the window line the Frisky saloon and Friskysport have identical body contours. The saloon has sliding door windows and a miniature rear seat on either side of the engine bulkhead which is detachable for servicing.
In production form it is to be constructed wholly of glass fibre, with steel reinforcing in the floor area and at the mounting points. The gull-wing doors have been discarded, partly because with the use of glass fibre the narrow section of the roof at their hinge point could not be strengthened sufficiently.
A considerable amount of restyling has been undertaken; as in the prototype, this is the work of Giovanni Michelotti, the Italian stylist from Turin. The separate chassis frame is of ladder form, with tubular members having local reinforcing gusset plates at the main body mounting points. The tubes of the frame are 2in diameter, but the metal thickness varies between 12 s.w.g. (0.104in) and 18 s.w.g. (0.048in) depending upon the loads carried by individual sections. Weight of the frame, complete with all attachment brackets, is 48 lb.
Four main sections make up the body which is attached to the frame at seven points, each incorporating a conical rubber mounting. The floor and back squab
are in one moulding; incorporated in this unit are channel section steel bracing members. Three other body sections comprise the nose, the rear bulkhead, and the separately mounted tail section, which can be removed for major servicing. For routine engine attention the cowling which protrudes into the car behind the rear seats is removed by releasing two quick-action clips
The saloon and sports bodies are identical below the waistline, and use the same design of windscreen; the roof is not detachable. There is a full width, bench type sat which is adequate for two adults and a small child, although three adults can be accommodated at a squeeze. In the saloon there is a small upholstered platform at each side of the engine
cowling which will seat two small children. Entry is by a double-skin, rear hinged door at each side, untrimmed internally but with a very good finish.
BODY
Sports 2/3 seater. Constructed Of Resin Bonded glass fibre. Full width Panoramic windscreen Of safety glass. Two rear hinged doors, 37-ins. wide, made for easy entry and
exit. Body finish enamel paint. Seating Extra wide Divan type, Width at elbow level, 52-ins. Both cushion and squab sprung on rubber webbing. Seat upholstered in Vynide with contrast piping. Squab hinged to give access to engine, hood, battery and luggage space. Hood and Side Screens (on Friskysport) Vynide covered with extra large rear window. Easily erected and folded. Stows out of sight behind seat squab.Detachable rigid side screens with sliding clear plastic panels.
Instrument Panel
Centrally situated speedometer with mile- ometer and panel light. Switches for ignition, starting, reversing, lights, wipers, flashing indicators and headlamp dip. Warning lights for ignition. Reverse and Neutral Gears and Headlamp high beam. Ignition lock fitted with two keys.
General Equipment
Two large door pockets. Easily cleaned rubber floor covering. Interior Driving mirror providing maximum view co rear. Flush-fitting 7-in. headlamps, fitted with pre-Focus bulbs. Parking lights. Two combined rear and stop lamps and reflectors. Separate number plate lamp. Two amber flashing direction indicators. Electric wind-screen wiper. Horn button.
With no restriction at the front there is plenty of leg room, and although the wheel arches intrude slightly, they serve as convenient leg rests. A positive stop type of gear change is mounted on the floor at the right-hand side. In changing up, the gear lever is pulled towards the driver in one movement and a spring plunger returns it to the central position. Similarly, for down changes it is pushed forward, and returns automatically to the central position. Neutral is obtained in a half notch position between second and first, and an indicator on the dash lights when this position is obtained. It is possible, but of no significance, to obtain the same four speeds in forward and reverse.
The bench seat has three positions, adjusted with a nut and bolt anchorage. A moulded rubber mat will cover the floor on production models, but the initial batch have carpeting. A
spare wheel is carried inside the car on the floor by the passenger's left leg.The curved windscreen is of sufficient height in the open form to prevent wind buffeting. There are two screen wipers, which are not self-parking. Instruments comprise a speedometer with distance recorder, and pull-out switches for side lights, head lights, panel light and screen wipers. These are mounted in a separate central panel and on each side, in the main facia, is a small cub hole. On the right of the facia is an operating arm for the side-mounted flashing turn indicators, with illuminated plastic knob.
Front suspension is of Dubonnet type, which gives a true vertical rise and fall of the steered wheels. In this design the suspension units turn with the wheels on normal type kingpins, which are anchored to the extremities of the main front tubular cross-member. Pivoting on the king pin is a rearward-facing arm, terminating in a transverse circular containing a Metalastik rubber torsion member. Moulded to the rubber is a serrated spindle to which a forward extension is fixed, and this forms the moveable arm on which the front wheel hubs are mounted. There are no separate dampers, but on the outboard end of the wheel arm spindle is a fabric disc, clamped against a face with a nut and a Belville type of spring washer. Pedal arrangement and steering linkage at the front of the frame. The torsional rubber suspension unit Pivots with the wheels, each of which is mounted in a forward-facing arm attached to the spindle to the torsion member to which it is bonded as the steering rods do not rise and fall with the movement of the wheels, the normal type of steering ball joints is not needed. From the drop arm of the steering box, a rod connects to a bell-crank lever pivoted on the centre line of the chassis. The second arm of the lever operates in a transverse plane and is formed with two lugs to which fork-end joints are fitted. At the other end of the steering track rods is a plain boss, in which is a drilled and reamed hole. This locates on a pin formed in the underside of the housing containing the rubber torsion spring of the suspension unit.
The rear engine is a Villiers vertical twin two-stroke, and its capacity has now been increased from 250 c.c of the prototype. to 324 c.c., in which form it develops 16 b.h.p. The engine cylinders are enclosed in an aluminium casing, and cooling is by two sirocco-type fans, one on each end of the crankshaft. The cowling forms an integral part of the engine, directing the air over the fin area. It is mounted transversely in the frame on the centre line of the car, with a slight forward inclination of the cylinders. There are two separate cylinder castings, each having one inlet, one exhaust and two transfer ports. On the rear face of the crankcase, and forming an integral part of the engine, is a four-speed constant mesh type gear. Access to the engine is by a detach-able cowling behind the hinged seat squab. Gear selection is by a barrelled cam selector. The drive between crankshaft add multi-plate clutch is by a pre-stretched, endless roller chain, totally enclosed and running in its own oil bath casing. Final drive to the rear wheels is taken from a pitch sprocket on the left-hand side of the gearbox. The single roller chain is enclosed in a fabricated case which incorporates a rubber bellows to accommodate its movement, and to allow for adjustment when wear takes place in the chain.
On one end of the crankshaft is a Siba Dynastart which generates current at 12 volts and is used also for starting. It incorporates a double 'low-tension contact breaker assembly for the two independent ignition coils. There is no separate mechanical gear to obtain reverse. It is possible to run a two-troke engine in either direction by reversing the direction of the Dynastart, and starting for forward or reverse running is selected by the ignition switch. For normal forward running the key is turned to switch on the ignition circuit and a further turn in the same clockwise direction operates the Dynastart. To select reverse the key is first of all returned to its normal off position. It is then pressed farther in against a light spring to its secondary position and then the process is as before, i.e., one half turn for ignition and a further turn in the same direction for Dynastart.
Engine and gear box weigh approximately 120 lb.
The rear wheels are noticeably crab tracked to reduce the need of a differential. The rear axle is thus a simple tubular beam with the final drive chain sprocket set slightly to one side and incorporating rubber torsional members to smooth out the drive to the axle shafts. It is located by a tubular trailing arm at each side, pivoting on substantial nibber bushings. To allow for chain wear there is at the pivoting end of each arm a screwed adjustment which is used also for setting the tracks in initial assembly.
Suspension is by combined telescopic dampers and coil springs. The brakes are mounted directly on the beam axle, and are set inboard from the wheel hubs. Fuel is carried in a 3 1/2-gallon tank above the final drive chain and feeds the Villiers carburettor by gravity. Also at the rear is the electrical control box for the Dynastart.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS AVAILABLE
Tonneau Cover Windscreen Washer,External Chromium Luggage Carrier,Additional Windscreen Wiper,Spare Wheel and Tyre,Spare Wheel Carrier
Jack and Handle,Ventilated Screw on Chrome Wheel Discs .
