1922 Neracar Type A

• YEAR: 1922
• MAKE: Neracar
• MODEL: Type A
• MANUFACTURER: Ner-A-Car Corporation
• MANUFACTURED: Syracuse, NY
• ENGINE NO: 17
• ENGINE: 221cc, 2.5 HP, two-stroke
• FRAME NO: 71
• TRANSMISSION: Friction drive

Carl Neracher designed the Neracar in Syracuse, New York, from 1918 to 1919 to be “nearly a car.” It was an innovative, feet-forward motor­cycle, and the Ner-A-Car Corporation, financed by razor-maker King C. Gillette, produced them between 1921 and 1927 in Syracuse, and under license by Sheffield-Simplex in Sheffield, Eng­land. It featured a low-slung, pressed-steel chassis, hub-center steering, and protective bodywork, making it exceptionally stable and comfortable. The combined characteristics of a motor­cycle and a scooter, with a long, low frame, protected the rider from road debris. The step-through design and bodywork kept riders clean, allowing them to wear ordinary clothes on their way to work or local shops. The hub-center steering allowed for 35–40 mph and extreme stability, making it the choice for a historic 1922 coast-to-coast trip. In the fall of ’22, Erwin “Cannonball” Baker successfully rode a Neracar from New York City to Los Angeles in just over 174 hours.

Production began in 1921 with the Model A, which featured a 221-cc two-stroke engine rated at 2.5 hp. It was advertised as “300 miles for a dollar” and “85 to 100 miles per gallon.” The Neracar became the best-selling hub-center motor­cycle in history, going on to produce the Neracar Type B and commercial CB in the United States and the “Ner-A-Car” Type B, CB, Model C, and Deluxe models in Eng­land until 1927. It is estimated that a combined 16,500 Neracars were produced, but only about 100 remain, making this first Neracar model, the 1922 Type A, a rare relic of history.