Talk about your exotic automobiles...

[PALADIN85020]

Here's a marque I'll bet even most of you auto aficionados don't know about. It certainly mystified me. It's air cooled, two cylinder, front-wheel drive, and has three wheels - one in the back. It seats two, and is open-air, no top of any kind. A blast from the past? Open to guesses. I photographed it this morning at the annual 7th Avenue street fair in Phoenix.

John

 

[Marshwheeling]

Off the top of my head, I'd say Triking, Guzzi-powered 3-wheeled shaft drive kit car. Inspired by the Morgan 3-wheeler, which usually used a J.A. Prestwich power plant.

A closer look says something is not quite right, though. Those halfshafts suggest FWD, and it looks like, a "small block" Guzzi, max. 750cc. The grille/nose panel is not from a classic Triking either. I'll have to go see what Google yields.

Okay, definitely not like any Triking I have ever seen. ^This is a Triking.^
That is a later big block Guzzi, however, probably 1000 cc. The lack of a supporting subframe for the engine makes me wonder if the engine is hanging off something like a Beetle gearbox with the ring gear flipped.

 

[boatme99]

Morgan Super Sport?

 

[boatme99]

You cheeky monkey.

Very interesting!

 

[ejeli]

Pembleton Grasshopper Super Sport 900.
e.
( I'm not that well informed, when you click on the photo the description shows)

 

[Rastoff]

Well, it certainly looks like a Moto Guzzi motor. Beyond that I have no clue.

Whatever it is, I want one.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Well, since ejeli cheated (I knew someone probably would), the cat's out of the bag. It IS a Pembleton Grasshopper Super Sport (not 900 - that's the height in megapixels of the photo). It's put together from many different parts - not a "kit car" in the sense that the only part provided was the frame, which the owner bought with the plans for $900. Then he was tasked with finding all the correct components, a lot of them from MGs, as some might surmise from looking at the front tires. The skin is simply sheet aluminum; the owner formed the sheets himself and assembled everything in his garage. The cockpit appointments were farmed out. It took a long while for him to find all the correct components; it is a Moto Guzzi motor. The owner says it has a six-speed transmission, I'm not sure from what.

Here's a shot of the cockpit, together with the assembly manual.

It sure does draw a crowd - a real accomplishment for one individual to put it all together.

John

 

[italiansport]

There's an exotic car company located in the Scottsdale Airpark that's importing these. The name escapes me at the moment.
Jim

 

[Marshwheeling]

Ah, so. Citroen 2CV running gear, choice of Citroen, Guzzi or BMW power. Three or four wheels.
Pembleton Motor Company