Historic disabled-friendly car arrives at Black Country Museum
A rare model of a three-wheeled car given out for free to disabled people under the NHS for decades is being restored at the Black Country Living Museum.
The Dudley attraction has bought an Invacar Mk12e: a three-wheeled vehicle which was built in 1969.
Made by Invacar Ltd, the duck-egg blue car, which is abbreviated from "invalid carriage", was issued free of charge to eligible people through the National Health Service for decades.
The cars were introduced thanks to Clement Atlee's Labour government of 1945.
After the Second World War, the UK suddenly had a large number of injured former servicemen and people disabled by their service in the war.
Atlee's government decided to introduce the Invacar scheme to help disabled residents become more mobile and independent.
The first model was launched by Bert Greeves in 1946 and the Ministry of Health supplied and repaired the vehicles free of charge.
The cars were a regular site in towns and cities across the UK, including the Black Country, during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
The scheme was incredibly popular and when the initiative ended in 1976, there were more than 20,000 in everyday use.
Powered by a Villiers 197cc two-stroke engine - made in Wolverhampton - the pale blue vehicles could reputably reach speeds of up to 50mph.
Now mostly forgotten, this example will be restored over the coming months to bring it back to its former glory, helping to tell this important story around the history of mobility transport.
The Museum’s transport manager, Tim Shields, said: “These types of vehicles had a complex history. They gave freedom to many disabled users but were quite primitive compared to new cars such as the Mini, that were being introduced at the time.
“With space inside limited to only one driver and a folded wheelchair or crutches, the lack of any passenger carrying capacity was alienating to many.
“The Invacar is a great example of the changing way society views disabilities and once restored will be a fantastic addition to our current development BCLM Forging Ahead’s 1940s-60s town.”
Invacars were banned from use on UK roads in 2003 because of safety fears. Almost every Invacar was recalled and crushed, although a number still survive in museums and in private ownership.
The museum would like to hear stories from those that previously owned an Invacar. If anyone has any photographs of them in their heyday, please get in touch with the Museum’s Collections Team at collections@bclm.com or call 0121 557 9643.
