German 1910 Phanomen Phanomobil Tricar Roadster

The restoration of a part restored German 1910 Phanomen Phanomobil Tricar Roadster.

Purchased in 2012 from a garage in Somerset UK via Ebay, by Kim Leachman a Private Enthusiast!

Although it looks a somewhat fragile and experimental creation, the German Phänomobil was an extremely successful machine, a few thousand being produced between 1907 and 1927. Various models were available; passenger cars as well as delivery vans and for Military use by the Polish and German Army's. Even the Netherlands had a distributor: Baakman in Assen, which recommended the car ‘for commercial use as well as touring and even racing’ following the success of the Cyklon Cyklonette!

The Cyklonette was first exhibited at the Leipzig Motor Show (Germany) in 1902. Built by the Cyklon company in Berlin, the company had been manufacturing motor cycles that had an engine fixed onto the front wheel when it was then transformed into a 3-wheeler. The Cyklonette used two engines, a 450cc single-cylinder version for the two-seater Cyklonette and a 1290cc two-cylinder engine for the four-seater and manufacture continued until 1929.

The Phänomobil was manufactured in the Phänomen-Werke, by Gustav Hiller Phanomen Fahrradwerke, Germany in the German town of Zittau in the state of Saxony, which later became part of East Germany. In 1927 the firm switched to producing lorries under the name ‘Granit’. The factory was nationalised in 1945. Up until 1907,Phanomen had been building just bicycles and motorcycles. In 1907 they produced their first 3-wheeler called the Phanomobil, this car was powered by a 880cc, v-twin and then vertical twin engines which were used up until 1912 when it was upgraded to a four-cylinder 1,536 cc engine. The Phanomobil was very economical and so as a result became very popular.

Gustav Hiller third left and his loyal workers 1913

This Internet page will feature the restoration of one circa 1910 Edwardian Phanomobil owned by Kim Leachman of Holdenhurst Village in the UK and if interested persons would like to add anything they know about this marque, either literally or photographically, then they can, by accessing his Facebook page, by typing in 'Phanomen Phanomobil'. Kim will post photographs here and on the Tri-cars Facebook page, as work is carried out on the vehicle and photos of other Phanomobils from the net will appear too, to give interested persons a collective flavour of this very rare veteran vehicle - Thank You and Enjoy!

Parts I am currently wanting to purchase for this vehicle are: German Lighting: Bosch, Radsonne, Herm or Rieman. I originally wanted a large Brass Single Front 'Bosch' Carbide/Acetalyne Headlamp, but found from experts, that Bosch, didn't even make one for that era, so I opted for a lovely 'French' model Chautodive Ste LE GAZOPETROLE, that I recently obtained below and I also aquired two smaller ones for the scuttle, also from Beaulieu, some months ago and although I have parts of a Carburettor (see pics further on), I have been lucky enough to be able to buy a complete 'original' Lyma model, made in Dresden Germany (see pic below), from 'Yesterdays Antique Motorcycles' from the Netherlands. I am still looking for any vehicle badges though and the horn pictured, was recovered in the 80's, by a groundsman at the Brooklands Motor Racing circuit and is a 'King of the Road' No 38 Horn circa 1910, a superb purchase, with so much nostalgic value and just requires a clean and a rubber bulb!

Within the section below, are all my latest pics of some recent acquisitions and the Phano's on-going restoration, as put up on and as of August 9th & 28th along with 19th and 25th September 2017! The First Pic below is of the machine taken last week 9th May 2018, showing its Brass Wind Screen Surround, Glazing and Hard Wood Tiller Steering Apature.

What are the chances of this eh? Only one of the rarest Edwardian engines on the entire planet and I have been lucky enough to locate and purchase another one from a Private Museum! An original, one hundred and seven + year old German Phanomobil engine, No 83, (identical to mine, which is No 273) and neither being fully complete, but I will now be able to strip down both engines over the winter months and decide which components I wish to keep and build ONE Complete Super Motor - Fantastic!

Here are some of the original Phanomobil parts and achievements that I have aquired and been able to achieved over the last few months! 31st August 2017

Both Side Lamps now in situ and the lamps which are shown in more close up further on down the page!

One of the Carbide Lamps mounted on the scuttle

A Lyma Carburettor made in Dresden Germany and purchased from Yesterdays Antiques, to be paid for in Euro's and collected from Septembers Beaulieu Auto Jumble!

The cleaned and repainted Running Boards ready to be fitted soon

The Brass Screen and the plywood template, which will be cut from Hardwood and hasrecently been finished .

How the screen will look when fitted and looking forward to fitting the two sections of toughened glass, pretty soon!

Front Right with body tub to chassis hardwood section

Front Left with body tub to chassis hardwood section

An original Phanomen bodytub badge/motif that I seek for my vehicle - Please contact me, if your know where I could obtain one?

Phanomobil Phanomobil Screen and body Assembly

Phanomobil Phanomobil Brass Screen Assembly

The hardwood screen assembly and mounting sections	The hardwood pieces after dark oak staining	The brass screen frame, cleaned and finely sanded and the hardwood steering insertion, stained, mounted and screwed into place - the black plastic ties will be removed, once more brass screws have been added to secure. The screen will be polished, prior to the glazing and then finally mounted within a rubber strip.

Below is my Phanomobils condition, when it was collected and close ups of its engine 2012, followed by some photos of its prepared and resprayed body/wings and its re-upholstered seating.

Mudguards for sprayshop

My Phanomobil Carburettor

body removed chassis painted runningboard mountings removed and painted

Body removed and chassis cleaned and painted

Body prepared to be sprayed in 2014

New fuel tank

My Windscreen Surround

After beeing repaired back in 2016

Engine Number 273

2012

Present day 2017 and still lots to do!

My 107 year old Bosch Magneto ZE2

Via Ebay a few weeks ago from Norway - great find!

How my engine will eventually look ~ courtesy of John Hancock!

Picked up some lovely 1900's period Acetalyne/Carbine Side Lamps from Beaulieu

My Phanomobils brass windscreen sits ontop a plywood profile for straightening and fitting - Once in place, the plywood is to replaced with a finished hardwood, shaped and varnished and the screen itself to have toughened glass, top and bottom!

I have been lucky enough to have an article appear in a Newspaper in 2014

"I have owned this beast for a few years now, I have restored her body and seating and will soon start on the windscreen, hood and engine. I would love to hear from anybody familier with the marque and at present I am searching for some metal 'Phanomen' emblems to mount on her body! There is a short video of one belonging to a pal of mine in Australia, which is very interesting to watch and is called 'Opera of the Phano',It can be viewed on Youtube! The engine is a vertical twin like mine and is about 900cc. Thanks for your interest, Kim Leachman".

Below are Phanomen Phanomobil's & Cyklon Cyclonette's including Advertisments from the Internet and I would be happy to learn from readers of this page who may know where these machines reside, either in Museums or Privately owned?:

Unknown whereabouts and location!

Cyklonette No. 89 dated 1904/5 is original and belongs to and housed in the Munich Transport Museum for many many years. It is the 2nd oldest Cyklon “known to exist” and is one of only 2 single cylinder ones known in the world.

Cyklonette owner and new friend Harry Pyle from Perth in Western Australia, was given full access to this vehicle in 2013 when visiting to take photos and dimensions etc for his own restoration project, seen later on this page.

This Cyklonette belongs to Harry Pyle, is No. 282 and has a twin cylinder 750cc motor. The photo taken in 2012 in Harry's garage, shows it under restoration in the early stages although the engine was already complete and and he had just put in a new fuel tank. The body and everything except the front forks/engine, were purchased from Chris Rolph in UK in 2011.

1912 6hp Cyklon Cyklonette belonging to Evart Louwman and housed at his, Louwman Museum in Holland with thanks to Phil Seed.

1912 Phanomobil Louwman Museum in The Hague with thanks to Phil Seed.

Phanomobils in Essen Netherlands in 1913

Chris Rolfs 1909 Phanomobil UK

The above vehicle probably doesn't exist anymore?

German Pigeon Carrier and vehicle probably doesn't exist anymore?

Believed to be the oldest Cyklon Cyklonette known to exist in the world. It is No. 42 and the photo shows the then owners Andrew and Nicola Howe-Davies in one of the London To Brighton Rallies. Andrew sold the car via Bonhams in 2013 to an unknown client in Germany..but it has since been sold again to a new owner in Holland or Germany.	Cyklon Cyklonette Vehicle circa 1907. This is a Cyklon Factory promotional photo taken possibly in Berlin, Germany. Harry Pile has an original print of this photo and he was told that it was used in a 1907 and 1908 Factory Sales brochure. He has several sales brochures of those years that depict this photo. 1907 is the year that Cyklon first produced the twin cylinder Cyklonette and up until that date they were all single cylinder. Note that this early twin does not have that “heavy” multi leaf spring suspension on the front forks. This example is identical to Harry's own vehicle seen below.	The Cyklon Cyklonette No. 42 then owned owned by Andrew Howe-Davies.