"Jordan" wrote in message
ond.com...
On 11/27/2010 6:24 AM, Tim Wescott wrote:

Every time I see one of those I start totting up the manufacturing cost
of a differential vs. two undriven wheels in front, and I wonder _why_
they went and made the damn things that way.

I think the Reliant started as a commercial type vehicle, so load carrying
capacity dictated an axle and two wheels at the rear. The Messerschmidt
3-wheeler on the other hand, grew out of an invalid car - transport for
post-WW2 German injured servicemen. Both were built to a low price
initially, so losing a wheel made sense then.
Apart from handling problems, having 3 tracks makes avoiding potholes etc
difficult. Like Morgan did, a move to 4 wheels and only 2 tracks is the
right way, but driven within their limitations, 3 wheelers look like fun.

Here's the original one, which might explain why they stuck with the layout

http://www.3wheelers.com/relarch.html

Film buffs might recall the strong-man's vehicle in Fellini's La Strada,
which I think might have been based on a Harley Davidson