The Dandaloo

I was pleased to see the photo of a Tilbrook Dandaloo sidecar attached to a Series D Vincent Black Prince in issue 50 of Old Bike. The Dandaloo model was the only Tilbrook sidecar that was not sketched out on the factory floor with a piece of chalk and was the result of a fading market for sidecars and the hope that a new design would increase demand. Rex Tilbrook was able to relay his ideas by sketches on the back of old envelopes and explaining what he wanted but by 1954 he was spending less time in the factory and devoting considerable time on volunteer activities including being the inaugural secretary of the A.C.U. of South Australia so I was given the job of transmitting his ideas to paper for his approval. He wanted the wheel enclosed to do away with a separate mudguard but needed the body shape to be readily associated with the established standard model launched in 1947 as well as retaining the torsion bar suspension. This necessitated using a smaller wheel so the patterns of the wheel designed for a scooter, which was subsequently abandoned, were modified to produce the cast aluminium 12 inch wheel that was subsequently used. This proved a good move because it brought the swing arm axle mount to a more horizontal position and hence a softer ride than the standard model that was well past a satisfactory angle of contact with respect to the absorption of road shocks. The seat and back rest was integral with a tubular frame pivoted at the front with the back resting on coil springs, unlike the standard model that had a padded squab resting in a seat well with a hinged padded backrest that was pulled forwards for access to the rear storage space. Perhaps the most innovative feature was the mounting method that had three large two piece rubber “T” section mounts similar to a very large petrol tank mounting arrangement used by many makers. These carried