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Mickey Richaud

Mickey Richaud

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Looking at a website, there were only 95 of these built between '51 and '57!
 
Hello Mickey,

not really a road car in my view, if that is what you have in mind?

Most trial cars of that era had side valve engines (although that one has a 'special' head), low gearing. The seller refers to 'didle' brakes but I'm guessing that equals 'fiddle' brake in English (UK). What that is, if you are not aware, is an individual lever for each rear brake, to facilitate tighter turns on steep and muddy slopes.

Alec
 
Thanks, all, for the input. I just happened to see it and was curious. No interest in bidding; just wanting to learn about a car that was new to me, and apparently pretty rare.

Cross between a hill climb and 4-wheeling. Afraid those days are behind me! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Just reading this now...

I have been interested in UK-style trials for a quite a while and wish we had them in the US. Looks like great fun!

And, really, this is not something that you have to be young to do...look at the video below; not exactly teenagers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqiMcUAmOKA
 
Dellow!

Dellow?

Dellow?

Anyone there?

Hmmm...
 
aeronca65t said:
Just reading this now...

I have been interested in UK-style trials for a quite a while and wish we had them in the US. Looks like great fun!

And, really, this is not something that you have to be young to do...look at the video below; not exactly teenagers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqiMcUAmOKA
Click to expand...

Thanks, Nial -

Not exactly "Fast and Furious - Tokyo Drift", is it?

But I love the navigator "humping" to get traction! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

Mickey
 
note the matching skid lids in case they go over backwards
 
Here is a re-print from "All the World's Cars - 1954" with a brief history!
 

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RE: Fiddle brakes. They could be used to get round tight corners, but they are also used to maintain traction.
In trials, limited slip diffs are not allowed, and if one wheel starts to spin, applying the brake on that wheel will transfer torque to the other wheel. By judicious balancing of the fiddle brakes, you can maintain traction to both rear wheels - valuable on a steep muddy hill!
 
At least there wouldn't be a lot of friction on the drive train /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif I find these videos amazing - mostly because, you're right, most people wouldn't use their classics like that - yet that's exactly how they were meant to be used.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=N0yTVbABWWM

This video amazes me too - partly because I can't imagine using Ms. Triss for this - and partly because I can't imagine anyone using a Midget because of ground clearance issues. Likewise the sedans - what's up with that?! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 
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