The Scott Sociable, manufactured by the Scott Autocar Company from 1921 until 1925, began life as military vehicle. The Scott Motorcycle Company had been producing sidecar machine gun carriers since 1916, but in 1919 the company’s founder and designer, Alfred Angas[a]Sometimes recorded as Angus. Scott, decided to focus on the development of a three-wheeled automobile, and left to set up the Scott Autocar Company in 1919.[1]
The design of Scott’s automobile clearly owes much to his experience with motorcycle sidecars, resulting in the vehicle’s unusual configuration of an offset front wheel, giving the impression that the other front wheel is missing. When the anticipated military orders failed to materialise, Scott decided to convert the vehicle to civilian use, the first version of which was introduced in 1921.[1]
The automobile’s wooden body was mounted on a tubular, triangular steel frame, fitted with Scott’s own water-cooled 578 cc (35 in3) twin-cylinder two-stroke engine. Drive was delivered to the offside rear wheel by a shaft via a three-speed gearbox; there was no reverse gear.[2]
When introduced in 1921 the Scott Sociable was priced at £215, equivalent to more than £10,000 as at 2021,[b]Calculated using the retail price index.[3] but by 1923 the price had dropped to £135, about £8,000.[c]Calculated using the retail price index.[3] Production ceased in 1925.[1]
| Manufacturer: | Scott Autocar Company |
| Production: | 1921–1925 About 200 made |
Notes
| a | Sometimes recorded as Angus. |
|---|---|
| b, c | Calculated using the retail price index.[3] |