The Invacar is a three-wheeled motor vehicle for drivers with a physical disability. It was issued by the Ministry of Health from just after World War Two until 1981. The car has tiller steering. This means that instead of a steering wheel, it has a bar to assist anyone with poor upper mobility.
The Invacar was designed in 1946 by engineer Bert Greeves, and used a lawnmower engine to power it. Greeves designed the vehicle for his cousin Derry Preston-Cobb, who was born paralysed from the waist down.
The story of our Invacar
The Invacar in our collection dates from about 1970. It's blue, like all free government-issued disability cars of this period. A sticker in the back window reads: "Love Lingers On".
This car travelled thousands of miles on epic journeys around the country. On one occasion, it covered 2,750 miles over 16 days travelling from Hove on the south coast to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. For a small, lightweight car easily toppled by strong winds – that's pretty good going!
Criticisms of the Invacar
There were several major criticisms of the Invacar. Firstly, it was impractical since only one person could use it. Secondly, it was dangerous! There were reports of cars overturning and even setting on fire. Despite protests from those who wanted or needed the car, the government ended the scheme in 1981. They eventually banned the vehicle from the roads in 2003 on the grounds of safety.
Vehicles like this have since been replaced by the Motability Scheme, which leases much safer adapted vehicles.
