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1919 Busy Bee: One Man, One Garage, One Remarkable Little Car
Built in a small workshop in Mansfield, England, just after World War I, the 1919 Busy Bee is a great reminder that you didn’t need a big factory or a famous badge to build something special.
J. A. Mills put this unusual three-wheeled cyclecar together for around £120. With its lightweight tubular frame, plywood body, and compact design, it was built for practical, affordable motoring rather than luxury or show.
But here’s the really impressive part: Mills reportedly drove the Busy Bee for more than 100,000 miles over the course of his life. Originally powered by a Stag engine, it later received an AJS V-twin motorcycle engine in 1928, giving the little machine a whole new personality.
More than a century later, the Busy Bee is still on the road, a survivor from an era when resourceful enthusiasts built their own solutions and kept them running.
It’s quirky, it’s mechanical, and it’s got more character than plenty of cars costing a whole lot more.
J. A. Mills put this unusual three-wheeled cyclecar together for around £120. With its lightweight tubular frame, plywood body, and compact design, it was built for practical, affordable motoring rather than luxury or show.
But here’s the really impressive part: Mills reportedly drove the Busy Bee for more than 100,000 miles over the course of his life. Originally powered by a Stag engine, it later received an AJS V-twin motorcycle engine in 1928, giving the little machine a whole new personality.
More than a century later, the Busy Bee is still on the road, a survivor from an era when resourceful enthusiasts built their own solutions and kept them running.
It’s quirky, it’s mechanical, and it’s got more character than plenty of cars costing a whole lot more.
