It’s called the Pembleton Grasshopper Super Sport ... built by an Aussie, using a British design and chassis with French running gear. To confuse matters even further is it a car less a wheel or a bike with an extra wheel? If it’s a bike how come it has a steering wheel? If it’s a car how come it does not have four wheels? The actual pigeon hole for this vehicle is a `reverse trike’, given the single wheel is at the rear. Most of the trikes we see in Australia are motorbike-based or utilise a VW Beetle powertrain with the single wheel at the front.
We found the Pembleton Grasshopper at an All British Day in Brisbane a while ago and were attracted to its retro quirkiness. It could easily be an escapee from a Mad Max movie. The vehicle was built by Peter Gibbs who imported the chassis, MG spoke-wheels and design from the UK. The 600cc engine and suspension were donated from an unregistered new Citroen 2CV rolling chassis imported around 1969, but never used.
The retro style was borrowed from the beautiful 1930s Morgan Super Sport and there are more than 300 Pembletons either registered or under construction in the UK. Not all are Citroen 2CV based, but also utilise either Moto Guzzi or BMW motorcycle running gear. And, not all are trikes with Pembleton producing a kit for a four-wheel variant called the Brooklands.
What really sets the Pembleton apart is the retro styling which falls smack dab in the middle of the Art Deco period. I can picture my childhood hero, Biggles, hopping out of his aircraft and into the Pembleton without bothering to remove his helmet. The kit includes cutting patterns for the body panels, a job delegated to Australian sculptor and artist Steve Bodrog.
So all the panels and the impressive brass nose were beaten by hand. What we really like is the polished alloy finish which sets the Pembleton apart from just about anything else on the road.
Peter did all the fitting and turning work and general engineering to pull the project together over a two year time frame. The 600 cc engine from the 2CV is hooked up to a four speed gearbox that includes a reverse gear. Top speed is around 140 km/h with the vehicle running on the whiff of an oily rag. Total weight is around 370 kg. Peter says it will cover the 0-100 km/h sprint somewhere between 30 seconds a minute, depending on traffic and the speed limit.
The Pembleton came about when former motorcycle racer Phil Gregory and wife Maggie were on a cycling/camping holiday in Ireland back in 1999. Maggie spotted a tricycle and commented on the vehicle and the seed was sown. Phil not only raced bikes, but designed and built them so he had an inherent knowledge of building frames/chassis. At home he also had a Citroen 2CV that he used on his farm. Four weeks later the Pembleton was finished and a quick trip to the local transport department saw the vehicle approved and registered.
That idea then turned into a small business and the first Pembleton is used as the ‘company demonstrator’. Incredibly, few changes have taken place to the basic design (apart from the Brooklands) in the 11 years since since that first car was built. The chassis is made of square and round mini tubes and is easy to lift by one person. The kit comes with chassis, brackets, modified leading arms, twin cable throttle pedal, cutting patterns for the aluminium body work, a build manual and pre-build manual which gives advice on suitable donor vehicles and supplier contact details.
Perhaps the best news is the price which is 995 British pounds (Au$1511) for the three wheeler and 1195 British pounds (Au$1815) for the Brooklands. According to Pembleton the finished article will cost about 3000 British pounds (Au$4558) and 3500 (Au$5317) for the Brooklands. Thanks to the Pembleton enthusiasts web site for research information. www.pembleton.co.uk/
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