Wrong chair

On page 85 of OBA 45 there is a photo of a nicely restored B.S.A. Bantam and Tilbrook side car that has been identified as a “Dandaloo” when it is in fact a “Kuparu”. The “Dandaloo” was a standard size sidecar with an all enclosed chassis and 12 inch wheel that was developed in 1955 to replace the original Tilbrook exposed chassis and body mounted on four tension springs with a 19 inch wheel. They were made in single and double seat models. The Kuparu was a development of the Tilbrook Tom Thumb sidecar that was made for attachment to lightweight motorcycles and scooters to carry a passenger or parcels. One aspect of the Tom Thumb that received adverse comment was that there was not enough leg space for a taller person so Rex decided to make an alternative extended body with the front shaped like the standard model and instead of a vertical back it was sloped out at the bottom to give more space behind the seat pad. This also improved the appearance but increased the cost of what was supposed to be a relatively cheap solution for somebody who could not afford a larger outfit and only twelve were made with three staying in South Australia, four going to N.S.W. and five being dispatched to Victoria. The screen was an optional extra and on a small motorcycle, while providing the passenger with greater comfort, it created additional wind resistance. There were well over four hundred Tilbrook Tom Thumb sidecars sold as well as the Kuparu but unfortunately most sidecars have ended up as scrap with the bikes they were attached to so it is nice to see a restored example as a tribute to the motorcycle accessory, sidecar and motorcycle manufacturing business that Rex Tilbrook started sixty seven years ago. Alan Wallis O.A.M. Morphettville, SA