This Abingdon ‘K Type’ is one of the rarest surviving ladies’ tricycles from the early 1900s. Until this one was discovered after many years storage it was not known that any had survived. It was restored in the 1990s and apart from frizzled handlebar grips is in good condition all round and ready to ride.
This frame design appears in an 1898 Abingdon components advertisement, which also illustrates the Starley patent tricycle axle, now made by Abingdon Works. As this K Type was used on the 1895-1897 Rover, the logical assumption is that Abingdon took over the production of the K Type frame in 1898 after Rover finished with it. They state that both are ‘registered designs’ – I’m not sure if they purchased their patents or built them under license.
The 1905 Abingdon catalogue illustrates their ‘K Type’ frame as a bicycle and a tandem tricycle, though not as a lady’s tricycle. I’ll keep an eye out for an earlier Abingdon catalogue to see if they also advertised this model as a lady’s tricycle.
View in the Online Bicycle Museum
BICYCLE COLLECTORS CURATED ONLINE AUCTION, CHRISTMAS 2024 – JANUARY 2025
This Timed Auction is live from 20th of December 2024 to 26th of January, 2025. Highest bid wins.
NO BUYERS or SELLERS PREMIUM.
THE RESERVE IS THE START PRICE + BUY-IT-NOW OPTION.
INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY: NO PACKING FEES.
BIDDING INCREMENTS: Up to £1000 = £10. Over £1000 = £50. Over £2000 = £100
IT’S A CURATED AUCTION – Colin is the auctioneer and is available to chat to you personally during the auction (or before) by email, text message, phonecall, Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp.
