HARPER SCOOTERS
The Harper Scootermobile was made not by a motorcycle manufacturer but by an aircraft company, the Harper Aircraft Company, which was based in Exeter. Launched at the Earls Court show in 1954, it was a reworked version of the Saharan, a scooter built by Alvin ‘Spike’ Rhiando (born Albert Stevens), a remarkable character and an early exponent of glass fibre. Rhiando tested his Saharan by deciding to ride from London to Cape Town. The scooter proved more durable than the rider and Rhiando had to be rescued in the Sahara by the French Foreign Legion who didn’t bring the scooter back. (Rhiando went on to design an invalid carriage for AC Cars, a vehicle which ensured the demise of the Harding mentioned previously.)
The Scootermobile had a glass fibre body and a full fairing and was powered by a 122cc or 197cc Villiers engine. The prototype first appeared in Motor Cycling in March 1954, but by the time it was displayed at the Earls Court show it had been further developed with the addition of integral concealed panniers and twin headlights. Its heritage showed in the two aircrafttype petroil tanks which were linking by flexible hosing to give a fuel capacity of over three gallons. Later that year, the same publication described the Scootermobile’s ‘unusually comprehensive electrical equipment’ which included front and rear indicators and a starter operated by a key on the dashboard.
One thing that was immediately noticeable about the Scootermobile was its size – it dwarfed contemporary scooters, while the deluxe version with electric start weighed 300lb, over twice as much as a Lambretta of the same period. Nonetheless, there were a number of potential customers impressed by the idea of this futuristic luxury machine, but despite promises from Harper, after two years only six machines had been produced and that was the end of the Scootermobile story. Only one is known to survive and is on display at the Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset.