And this is how it all started. The 1st edition copy of the English publication The MotorCycle put out to the general public on Tuesday, March 31st 1903 for the princely sum of 2d. A gamble no doubt by those who hoped that besides riding these two wheeled contraptions that people also wanted to read about them. At 43 pages it had to balance fee paying advertisements against informative articles that would interest the gatherings of new motorcyclists.
The editorial was a great introduction to the first issue for readers outlining the 9 points of the policy of The Motor Cycle, all of which are still very real today. But they didn’t appear until page 10, after a multitude of those all important advertisements. Edwardian pre 1905 motor bicycles for the likes of P.D.C, Quadrant, Wearwell motor bicycles, and the Star-Griffin, Singer and Mitchell motorcycles are well represented, not forgetting Werner Motocyclettes and De Dion-Bouton Bicycle Motors. My favourite is the Millford Forecar, something designed for transporting the mother-in-law around in. Perhaps? And then there is the Royal Sovereign looking very regal and smart.
Articles include motorcycle monstrosities like the four cylinder Clement, The Gamet, and The Korn tricycle and there is a discussion with diagrams on Carburetters: Surface and Spray. The dealer advertisements alone are worth a look, and the magazine finishes off with a few classified advertisements in the back.
Click on the cover below to see the complete 43 page.
It is a 14.9M PDF.
