{"id":6015,"date":"2020-10-06T14:14:24","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T18:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=6015"},"modified":"2020-10-06T14:15:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-06T18:15:54","slug":"episode-134-the-little-skeoch-motor-car-lived-for-one-glorious-year-1920","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=6015","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 134: THE LITTLE SKEOCH MOTOR CAR … LIVED FOR ONE GLORIOUS YEAR…1920"},"content":{"rendered":"

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EPISODE 134:  ONCE UPON A  TIME THERE WAS  A MOTOR CAR CALLED  THE LITTLE SKEOCH<\/div>\n

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(also called  The Skeoch Motorcycle  Car)<\/div>\n

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alan  skeoch<\/div>\n
Nov. 27. 2018<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

     REVISED OCT. 2020 (slightly)

It has  now been  two years since I touched base with the men rebuilding The Litle Skeoch Motor Car<\/div>\n

in Scotland.  It is a daunting task.  We had planned on a  visit to their workshop but sad events<\/div>\n
got in the way\u2026and  Covid 19 makes such visits difficult today.  How the world has changed.<\/div>\n
Maybe I can get a progress report from Scotland.  Meanwhile I feel this story should be part<\/div>\n
of the Episodes (#134) just in case it gets lost.<\/div>\n

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alan

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Maybe we should bring back the LITTLE SKEOCH MOTOR CAR.   It was small,, cheap and  simple\u2026sort of  a  4 wheel bicycle  seating two people with a chain drive and  small<\/p>\n

motorcycle  engine.  So small that only two very slim people could  ride in it since the<\/p>\n
car was  only 31 inches  wide and a  little over 8 feet long.  <\/div>\n

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Some of  you may think this  is some kind  of joke.  Wrong.  In 1920, James Skeoch built his first Little Skeoch, then entered it in a Scottish auto show and sold it<\/div>\n
in ten minutes.   All  told less than a dozen Little Skeoch\u2019s  were built in his small factory.  Ten  were quickly purchased at that auto show. Price?  180 pounds\u2026which was the cheapest car in the show.  None have survived.   Sadly in 1921 a fire  consumed  his little factory and as  a  result the Burnside Motor Company in Dalbeattie,  Scotland, ceased to exist.<\/div>\n

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\"Skeoch<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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\"Skeoch<\/div>\n

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\"Burnside<\/div>\n

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Pictures of the Skeoch production line were retrieved from Skeoch  family albums.   Not exactly an automated  factory.<\/div>\n
But the LITTLE SKEOCHS were real mini cars and seemed about to make a big splash in the booming car market of the 1920\u2019s<\/div>\n
until  fire ended  the enterprise.  Everything became a  blackened  pile  of scrap  iron.<\/div>\n

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James Skeoch moved on.   His skills were valued.  He had a  long successful career and  died  in 1954.<\/div>\n
Not many people, by 1954, were even  aware that there was  such a  car as the SKEOCH.   Memories are short especially since <\/div>\n
none of the Little Skeochs  survived.   Gone  Gone Gone.    <\/div>\n

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Well, not quite.<\/div>\n

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POSSIBLE REBIRTH OF THE LITTLE SKEOCH<\/div>\n
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The Skeoch is  about to be  reborn.  All was  not lost.  By good fortune the motor and  gearbox of one of the Little Skeoch\u2019s<\/div>\n
has  been found.  A group of men, largely retired mechanics and carpenters, have decided to  rebuild the car and to do so<\/div>\n
in the same Scottish town where the originals  were built.  Dalbeattie.<\/div>\n

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\"Fiona<\/div>\n

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This is  Fiona  Sinclair, granddaughter of James Skeoch. Her family records  and  artifacts  gave a  big boost the idea of<\/div>\n
rebuilding the car.   When  Ron Skeoch, James Skeoch\u2019s son died, treasures were found  in his  home…  The plans, radiator and  other <\/div>\n
parts  of the Little Skeoch <\/div>\n

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\"Geoff<\/div>\n

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And this is Geoff Allison of  Dalbeattie, Scotland, who is one  of the prime movers of the restoration project..  He has founded<\/div>\n
the Dalbeattie Men\u2019s  Shed which  is hardly a glorious name for the little factory where All the bits  and pieces<\/div>\n
of the Little Skeoch have been assembled along with quite a gathering of men\u2026engineers, mechanics, widowers,\u2026some<\/div>\n
men  who are just lonely and want something to do  in their retired years  that seems meaningful.   <\/div>\n

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The brainchild  behind the project is Martin  Shelley, a  car enthusiast, who suggested that the Dalbeattie Men\u2019s Shed might<\/div>\n
consider doing something remarkable and then  dropped the bits and pieces on to their work  benches.   <\/div>\n

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Their job makes  me think of<\/div>\n
the Nursery Rhyme about Humpty Dumpty. Only this  time Humpty Dumpty,  i.e. The Little Skeoch, could be put back together again,<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON THE WALL<\/p><\/div>\n

HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD  A GREAT FALL<\/div>\n
ALL THE KING\u2019S HORSES<\/div>\n
AND ALL THE KING\u2019S MEN<\/div>\n
COULDN\u2019T PUT HUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN.<\/div>\n

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\u2026Then  along came GEORGE ALLISON and his men from Dalbeattie, Scotland\u2026who<\/div>\n
plan to put Humpty togehter again.
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i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk\/incoming\/article12137301.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s810\/Mens-Shed-Dalbeattie.jpg<\/a> 810w” src=”https:\/\/i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk\/incoming\/article12137301.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/Mens-Shed-Dalbeattie.jpg” alt=”Dalbeattie Men’s Shed members Geoff Thomas, John Forrest, Robin Gilchrist and Geoff Allison with part of the original engine and plans for the Skeoch car.” content=”https:\/\/i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk\/incoming\/article12137301.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/Mens-Shed-Dalbeattie.jpg” class=””><\/div>\n

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Dalbeattie Men’s Shed members Geoff Thomas, John Forrest, Robin Gilchrist and Geoff Allison with part of the original engine and plans for the Skeoch car.<\/span> (Image: Jim McEwan)<\/span><\/div>\n

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Will the  Little Skeoch ever see the light of  day again nearly a century later?   That remains to be seen.  The job is demanding and the cost  of  the right parts is high but <\/span><\/div>\n
the  men are  optimistic.  And  Fiona Sinclair hopes a  reborn Little Skeoch  will be on the road so  her mother, the daughter of  James  Skeoch will be able to take the first ride.<\/span><\/div>\n
These four men are only part of the gathering of men devoted to the project\u2026about three  dozen strong.   Men who  wanted something to do and both Shelley and Allison found that<\/span><\/div>\n
something.<\/span><\/div>\n

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 \u201cThis is a truly local car, it was the only cycle car ever made in Scotland and it was manufactured right here in Dalbeattie.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a Dalbeattie man building a car the likes of which has never been built since.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have already had a lot of interest from visitors staying here.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s already attracting a lot of attention and when it is finally road-worthy will really put Dalbeattie on the map.\u201d<\/font><\/p>\n

Project manager, Men\u2019s Shed member Robin Gilchrist, 73, reckons sufficient local skills exist to do the job \u201cin-house\u201d.<\/font><\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe will draw in a lot of expertise because some of the work is quite technical in nature.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s enough specialists in Dalbeattie who can help us do the precision engineering work.\u201d<\/font><\/p>\n

 Quotes  from an interview with journalist Stephen  Norris (Scottish  Daily Record,  March  6, 2018)<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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alan skeoch<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
Nov. 27, 2018<\/span><\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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P.S.   BELOW IS AN ARICLE  ON THE SKEOCH MOTOR CAR WRITTEN<\/div>\n
FOR BBC  SCOTLAND NEWS ,  Feb. 27, 2018<\/div>\n

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Drive to rebuild ‘forgotten’ early car<\/h1>\n

By Nichola Rutherford<\/span>
BBC Scotland News<\/span><\/p>\n

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Published<\/dt>\n
<\/path><\/path><\/svg><\/span>27 February 2018<\/span><\/span><\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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IMAGE COPYRIGHT<\/span>DALBEATTIE MUSEUM<\/span><\/div>
image caption<\/span>The Skeoch Utility Car was built using parts normally used to manufacture motorcycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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When James Skeoch designed and built one of Scotland’s firstaffordable cars, he must have dreamed of huge success. <\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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With a price-tag of just \u00a3180, the first Skeoch Utility Car was the cheapest on display at the Scottish Motor Show in 1921. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It sold within 10 minutes and a further nine were quickly snapped up by customers keen to join the automobile revolution. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But within months Skeoch’s business was in ruins. His uninsured workshop in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, burned to the ground. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Since then the Skeoch Utility Car has been largely forgotten by all but keen historians of Scotland’s motor industry. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Now, almost 100 years later, plans are are being drawn up to recreate the so-called “cycle car” in the town where it was manufactured. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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IMAGE COPYRIGHT<\/span>DALBEATTIE MUSEUM<\/span><\/div>
image caption<\/span>The Skeoch car was the cheapest on show at the Scottish Motor Show in 1921 and apparently sold within 10 minutes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The ambitious project has been taken on by a group of mainly retired local men, known as Dalbeattie Men’s Shed. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Using some of the original parts and working from the original drawings, they hope to build a working Skeoch car in time to mark its centenary. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Motoring enthusiast Martin Shelley approached the Men’s Shed with the idea for the project after reading about the group on the BBC Scotland website last year. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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IMAGE COPYRIGHT<\/span>DALBEATTIE MUSEUM<\/span><\/div>
image caption<\/span>Burnside Motor Works in Dalbeattie, where the Skeoch was manufactured, was devastated by fire in December 1921<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The group, which meets in a workshop in Dalbeattie twice a week, was named Shed of the Year for its efforts to “help as many local people as possible”<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“Using the Dalbeattie Men’s Shed’s energy, enthusiasm and skills to recreate the car seemed like a match made in heaven,” Mr Shelley said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He said “cycle cars” were first invented in the early 1900s and they got their name after using motorcycle engines and wheels. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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They became increasingly popular after World War One, when soldiers returned home from the front line, having become used to driving. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Skeochichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/4D35\/production\/_100156791_skeochbadge.jpg<\/a> 320w, ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/4D35\/production\/_100156791_skeochbadge.jpg<\/a> 480w, ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/4D35\/production\/_100156791_skeochbadge.jpg<\/a> 624w, ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/4D35\/production\/_100156791_skeochbadge.jpg<\/a> 800w” src=”https:\/\/c.files.bbci.co.uk\/4D35\/production\/_100156791_skeochbadge.jpg” width=”976″ height=”549″ loading=”lazy” class=”css-evoj7m-Image ee0ct7c0″ style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; width: 800px; height: 450px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; -webkit-box-pack: center; justify-content: center; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; object-fit: cover;”><\/span><\/span><\/div>
image caption<\/span>The Skeoch radiator badge was among the original parts found in the home of Mr Skeoch’s son following his death last year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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image caption<\/span>Dalbeattie Men’s Shed have also been given an original engine and gearbox with which to build a Skeoch car<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Shelley said: “After World War One, the ordinary working man was much more used to the idea of riding a motorcycle or driving a car so they knew about the technology and now they wanted to try and build their own cars. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“In the early 20s, there was a huge flowering of people making these cars. As it turned out, Skeoch in Dalbeattie were the only people in Scotland to ever attempt to make these things commercially.”<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The original drawings and parts – including the radiator badge – were found in the Wishaw home of Ron Skeoch, James Skeoch’s son, after he died last year. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Shelley said he hoped they could be used to capture the “spirit” of the 1920s vehicle. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“You could make a replica of the car which would pass muster, using a modern engine and a modern gear box and using modern parts. But the spirit of the car is very much based on the parts that were available in 1920,” he said. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“This project will be very like the original car and that to me is what the joy of the whole thing is.”<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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image caption<\/span>Fiona Sinclair hopes to be able to sit in one of her grandfather’s cars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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image caption<\/span>“It’s going to be something for posterity,” said Geoff Allison of Dalbeattie Men’s Shed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The granddaughter of James Skeoch, Fiona Sinclair, is also involved in the project. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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She never knew her grandfather – he died in 1954 – but she hopes that her mother – Skeoch’s daughter – will get the chance to ride in one his cars.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“I think it’s going to mean a lot to my family,” she said. “It’s tragic that the fire put an end to his ambition. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“I’m actually rather hoping I can physically get to sit in the car, I’m not quite sure I could be trusted with driving it. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“It’s only got two gears apparently but I think it would be rather wonderful. What I really hope is that my mother gets the opportunity to actually sit in the car as well.” <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The project is “immensely exciting”, said Geoff Allison, the secretary of the Dalbeattie Men’s Shed, which has members with engineering and mechanical skills. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“It’s engineering-rich, it’s Dalbeattie-rich, it’s community-rich, it fills so many of our requirements,” he added. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“It’s big, it’s going to be eye-catching, it’s going to be something for posterity. It’s got a lot to recommend it.”<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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