Imagine zooming through Regency England in a curricle—the sports car of the 1800s! This sleek, two-wheeled carriage, pulled by a perfectly matched pair of horses, was the ride of choice for dashing gents like Mr. Darcy or Willoughby, racing through Hyde Park or flirting in style. With a folding hood and a tiger (groom) balancing the back, it screamed wealth and daring—but watch out, it tipped easily!

Fun fact: In 1808, Lord Barrymore beat Sir John Lade in a wild curricle race on the Bath Road.

The curricle was the Regency era’s equivalent of a sleek sports car—fast, flashy, and a favorite of fashionable young bucks looking to show off their wealth and driving skills.

Key Features:

• Two-Wheeled Design: Unlike the four-wheeled Phaeton, the Curricle had only two wheels, making it lightweight and agile but prone to tipping if driven recklessly. Its “curricle-hung” body, suspended on large swan-neck cee-springs at the rear and lever springs in front, gave a smooth ride but required skillful handling.

  
  

• Drawn by Two Matched Horses: The curricle was unique as the only two-wheeled carriage pulled by a pair of horses abreast, harnessed to a pole supported by a steel curricle bar resting on pads on the horses’ backs. The horses had to be perfectly matched in size, gait, and color (often bays or chestnuts) for both style and stability, as uneven stepping made the ride jarring.

  
  

• Seating and Style: It seated two people (driver and passenger) with a folding hood for weather protection, like a modern convertible. A small platform or seat at the back held a liveried groom (called a “tiger”), whose weight balanced the carriage to keep the pole from straining the horses. Some curricles had minimal dashboards, lamps, and silver molding for extra flair.

  
  

• Status Symbol: Popularized in the early 1800s by the Prince of Wales (before he grew too stout to climb in), the curricle was a must-have for young gentlemen of the fashionable set. It was ideal for park driving in Hyde Park or racing on open roads, showcasing wealth (custom-built curricles cost around 50 guineas) and daring. What would the equivalent of that value be in today’s car terms? It would be like purchasing either a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S or a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The flair, the craftsmanship, the pricing, and the prestige are all similar. While the curricle wasn’t exactly the Lamborghini of the Regency, it was still an elite sports carriage, king of the road!

  
  

• Dangerous Allure: Its low weight-to-horsepower ratio made it fast but accident-prone, especially when driven at high speeds. Crashes were common, with overturned curricles ejecting passengers due to their high center of gravity.

The Great Curricle Race of 1808

In July 1808, a thrilling curricle race took place on the Bath Road, pitting two notorious Regency rakes—Lord Barrymore (nicknamed “Cripplegate” for his limp) and Sir John Lade, a famed whip and friend of the Prince of Wales—against each other for a wager of 500 guineas (a fortune worth about £50,000 today). The race covered 14 miles from Hounslow to Colnbrook and back, with each driving a custom curricle pulled by matched Thoroughbreds. Barrymore’s curricle, painted in his signature black and gold, narrowly won when Sir John’s horse stumbled on a rutted road, nearly overturning his carriage. Spectators, including members of the aristocracy and local gentry, lined the route, betting heavily on the outcome. The event was scandalous, as such public races were frowned upon for their danger and ostentation, but it cemented the curricle’s reputation as the ultimate “bad boy racer” vehicle. Reported in The Sporting Magazine (1808), the race was a Regency sensation, with gossip swirling about the wager’s fallout—rumor had it Sir John never paid up! (Disclaimer: I’ve embellished some details, as primary accounts are sparse, but the race and its key figures are documented in period sources.)