165 An Intriguing Last Clue—Invitation For Research The Motor Cycle: July 1953 Joe Curl, Allard Clipper owner, recently found an intriguing clue to the possible origins of the Allard Clipper body design. Perhaps one of you can help with this research too. Here’s what Joe Curl sent to me via e-mail on August 26, 2025: “Geoff….I recently found an intriguing short piece from a 1953 edition of the Motor Cycle, featuring a most unusual looking two-wheeled scooter. It looks extremely like an Allard Clipper and which is, in fact, identified in the piece as a "Clipper". Given its appearance, name and the date (about 10 months before the first Allard Clipper prototype running and driving), it seems just too much of a coincidence for me that it was an unrelated project. Unfortunately the short write-up on p.54 says only that it's a prototype, without going into more detail about its provenance. A microcar friend has suggested to me that the somewhat more distinguished looking gentleman sitting in/on the "Clipper" on p.63 might be David Gottlieb, although I can't find any corroborative evidence for this, such as a verified photo of him.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA0NTk=