Watsonian Cycle Sidecars Brochure

A couple of updates in order received:

First thanks to my good mate and sidecar guru Matt Little for pointing out that the date of this brochure is most likely 1945. The clues are in the limited supply stated on page 1, the code at the bottom right of page 1 that includes '45' and the look of the brochure which does have an air of material shortages and austerity about it.

Second, a big thanks to David Blasco of the ever excellent Royal Enfield Motorcycles blog for working his graphical wizardry in stitching the centre page images together in to one. Image added below....

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Not too sure of the year of this one but in the text it says that the bicycle sidecars were 'first introduced over 15 years ago' so, combined with this and looking at the bicycles featured, a good guess is late thirties.

Bicycle sidecars were once a relatively popular way of transporting your little one around, much like bicycles trailers these days. Complete survivors do survive in limited numbers and are charmingly evocative of times past. They were made from the twenties through to the fifties. 

The brochure is a fold out one and slightly too big for my scanner, so apologies for the way the images are cropped - I've done my best with what I've got... 

c1990 Watsonian Sidecars brochure

Watsonian's brochure from 1990. They might be undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment but 30 odd years ago sidecar sales were very much in a trough and to all intents and purposes Watsonian was the last man standing of the once illustrious British sidecar manufacturing industry.

Watsonian Centenary Rally

Watsonian Sidecars put on a celebration rally for their centenary this August. Held at Stoneleigh Exhibition Ground in Warwickshire it was a little more low key than expected but mid-August is a busy old time for events and it was still entertaining. Sidecar events are always fun for the amount of ingenious home engineering on display. Part of the interest in attending was inspiration for a personal Bullet / Monza project - more to come. Inspiration was indeed received and a pleasant morning was had oggling the combos..

Beautifully turned out ex-works 1953 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet ISDT combo.
Loads of unique features and perfectly thought out for long distance eventing.
350cc top end on a 500cc bottom for extra flywheel effect.

This home made brute utilised a BMW K100 frame as the basis
with a mid-engined Vauxhall Astra 1.6 diesel turbo providing
forward motion.

Gear lever though what was the petrol tank!

Good access to that diesel motor. Plenty of power and excellent
economy was claimed by the owner / builder.

Cut and shut Reliant Robin body shell provided the donor for
this sidecar. Beautifully made, it follows all the correct Reliant
styling features shrunk and is not just a crudely cut in half
abomination. Married to a Moto Guzzi California 1100.

Very immaculate Lambretta TV175 with Watsonian Bambini sidecar.

Work in progress Lambretta with Bambini and Czechoslovakian
PAV trailer.

Panther M120 with rare Blacknell sidecar.

Styling on the bathtub Thunderbird nicely matches the
Watsonian Monza chair.

Vincent Comet put to serious work.

Watsonian Sidecars 1958

A couple of years back I bought a Watsonian Avon super sports sidecar. The owner had used it fixed up to a Vincent. It's beautifully made sidecar with a lovely period feel to it down to the wooden dashboard and glove box. The owner had the original brochure, he wanted to keep it for sentimental reasons but lent it to me to make a copy. Now having two children the Avon doesn't suit my needs and will hopefully find a new owner shortly. Having gone to the effort of scanning the brochure I thought it would be worth posting it up for other enthusiasts. It's a nice glimpse of times past and shows just what a variety of chairs were available to fit to your bike in the fifties when they were still seen as a regular form of family transport. There're not many survivors of any of these models. If anyone has a spare Maxstoke two seater available let me know! Click on the individual images to see as a larger size...

1958 Watsonian brochure.

1958 Watsonian brochure.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Oxford and Cambridge models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Maxstoke and Light Maxstoke models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Ascot and Ascot De Luxe models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Monarch and Monarch Coupe models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Avon and Monaco models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Eton and Marlow models.

1958 Watsonian brochure: Bambini model and VG chassis.

1958 Watsonian brochure: SV chassis.

1958 Watsonian price list.

1958 Watsonian guarantee.

1958 Watsonian price list.

1958 Watsonian optional extras list.