Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Seal Sociable sidecar with steering wheel

Here's an unusual photo. It's a Seal Sociable. Made from 1912 to 1924 in, presumably, very limited numbers. It must have seemed like a logical idea at the time - most big v-twins were made to haul sidecars so why not combine the two together and allow rider and passenger to sit side-by-side?

It is powered by a JAP v-twin and at least one survives, in the National Motorcycle Museum. Strangely the sidecar in this picture is on a different side from other pictures I have seen. They must have made left and right hand versions.

The machine might be a studio prop as was popular at the time, but it would have been quite an expensive device for a studio to own. Perhaps this couple are in fact the proud owners.

Seal Sociable posed photo.

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