Marcus de Mowbray
at
330 St. James's Road Studios

London, England

THE DRUMCAR


The latest creation to emerge from Mr de Mowbray is quite possibly the strangest vehicle ever made. It is the Drumcar. It has two front wheels and a single rear one driven by horizontally opposed twin electric motors.

Steering is by Yoke/Tillers acting on a reversing mechanism causing the rear wheel to turn in the opposite direction to the yoke, the driver thus leaning into the corners. The steering has no camber or caster and only slight spring-assisted centering which keeps the action light and fast.

Acceleration, deceleration and braking are achieved with an arc and block mounted on a lever.

Driving is achieved entirely without the use of arms, legs or feet.

This is likely to be the World’s first (and only) rear wheel drive, rear wheel steered, electric three-wheeler car, controlled entirely by leaning the body backward, forwards and side to side.

And if the "car" part seems odd to car enthusiasts, the drum kit part seems at least as odd to drummers. Despite having a reputation as inventor and designer of some of the World’s most radical instruments, this particular Busker kit is by far the most radical design and is probably the weirdest drum kit ever made.

So the most unusual drum kit is bolted to the most unusual car, making for a supreme test of concentration and co-ordination!

This extraordinary creation made its public debut with The Fabulous Fezheads at the Sweeps Festival in Rochester, Kent on Monday May 1st, 2000. Driven and played by the man himself (aka DuraFez), it drove round the town, along the High Street, over pavements, down steps, through an open-air café and around Rochester Castle. It received a good reception wherever it went, even from the local "boys in blue", who in best humour agreed that there are no laws forbidding the driving of drumkits on public roads.

This vehicle has set, broken and now holds the World land speed record for drumkits.

The entire machine can be easily dismantled and carried in a small hatchback car.

Technical specifications:

Chassis:

Welded steel tubes, box and channel, 3 main chassis structures secured by nuts and bolts.

Wheels:

3, two front, one rear (Morgan style)

Power source:

Horizontally opposed twin electric motors, 24v, 2 car batteries in series.

Steering:

Pivoting twin lever/yoke working on rear wheel through reversing mechanism.

Speed control / braking:

Arc and block on lever; cable block and caliper brakes.

Driver fuel supply

Special bracket holds beer bottles, glasses or tankards.
   

Length

60" 1503mm

Width

53" 1305mm

Height

52" 1302mm

Speed

Faster than any other drumkit
   

Bass drum(s)

1 (or 2) + pedals, 20" x 10" x 1½" 50 x 25 x 4cm

Snare drum

10" x 6" x 1½" 26 x 15 x 4cm

Toms (x 3)

10" x 6" x 1½" (x1) 26 x 15 x 4cm
  12" x 6" x 1½" (x2) 31 x 15 x 4cm

Cymbals

2 x 6" (15cm) Hi-Hat cymbals, standard pedal and stand
  1 x 6" (15cm) splash
  1 x 8" (20cm) crash/ride
  1 x 16" (40cm) ride

Extras

Cowbell, crasher, clave

Sticks and brushes

Strapped to wrists to avoid loss while driving

 

 

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Interested? Any Questions?
Want to contact me?
then send me an e-mail

or

fax on:
+44 (0207) 064 1939

and there's always snail mail:

Marcus de Mowbray,
330 St. James's Road Studios,
London,
England.
SE1 5JX



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