The Economic is a three-wheeled cyclecar
Small, inexpensive automobile that filled the gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. made from 1919 to 1922 by Economic Motors of Wells Street, London. Priced at £60, equivalent to about £3,500 as at 2024,[a]Calculated using the retail price index.[1] it was almost certainly the cheapest car on the British market at the time.[2]
The car had a single front wheel and no suspension, relying on the tyres and the flexibility of its ash frame to absorb road bumps. The two-seater body, with wicker seats, provided no weather protection.[2][3]
Weighing only 150 pounds (68 kgs), the car was powered by a 165 cc horizontally opposed air-cooled two-stroke engine, delivering a claimed top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). A chain drove the offside rear wheel via a 2-speed friction transmission.[2][3]