Motorised Perambulators

Gallery opened 28 Aug 2023 Updated 21 Sept 2023 Kiddyboost powered pram updated

It is a good general rule that if there is an artefact with wheels on, somebody will get the notion of adding an engine to it.

A good example elsewhere in the Museum is the motorised sack-barrow

Left: Motorised perambulator in England: 1921-23 This is the Dunkley Pramotor, introduced in 1921, or 1923 according to some sources. The Pramotor was a scooter attached to the rear of a large baby pram, and the intrepid nanny rode standing astride the engine on the scooter platform. Early versions were powered by a 1 HP horizontal single-speed two-stroke engine. It was manufactured by W.H. Dunkley of Birmingham, UK. There is more info here. This is clearly a genuine 5-wheeled vehicle. They are rare but you can see some in the N-wheel car gallery of the Museum. Ooh-er, is that a golliwog in the pram?

Left: Motorised perambulator in England: 1921-23 This was clearly taken on the same photoshoot. Note the heavyweight wheels on the pram to carry the weight of the scooter attachment.

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Left: Motorised perambulator in England: 20?? Plumber Colin Furze added a powerful engine to a silver metal pushchair, giving it a top speed of 50mph. It is called the Megapram. As with the Dunkley Pramotor, the driver stands on a trailer at the rear. The engine installation includes a pneumatically-powered gear change. He has a YouTube channel here. There is also a website page here.

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Left: The Kiddyboost perambulator attachment: now Here is the Kiddyboost! This is the linear descendent of the Pramotor. It is a single-wheel trailer powered by an electric motor and storage battery. Clearly a five-wheeled vehicle.

Left: The Kiddyboost perambulator attachment: now As you can see, triplets are catered for. Another five-wheeled vehicle. More numerous multiple births are not catered for.

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