MGC

600 Four-Cylinder ·1938

A dream turned upside down

Between 1923 and 1935, Marcel Guiguet, the owner of the small French marque MGC, worked extremely hard to develop his idea of the perfect motorcycle. And he succeeded, since his products- despite the smallness of his output - were recognized as classics, even beyond the borders of France.

Outrageous Project

At the end of 1935, MGC officially abandoned its motorcycle activities in favor of engineering. But that dream of the perfect motorcycle would not leave Marcel Guiguet alone, and he made up for lost time by developing an even more outrageous project - a motorcycle powered by a four-cylinder engine of his own design and construction.

Aeronautical Engineering

In view of the international situation, Guiguet planned to build 200 four-cylinder sidecar outfits for the French Army. His passion for airplanes showed itself in his engine, a scaled-down version of the four-cylinder Renault Bengali light aeroengine. So – like the 1939 Sevitame and the 1928 Mondiale Touring- the MGC four had the rare feature of an inverted engine. The crankshaft was on top and the valves were underneath, and the valve cover acted as an oil pan. The gearbox was driven from the camshaft and linked to the crankshaft by a duplex chain. The cycle part retained the upper beam-fuel tank unit in the light-alloy of the single cylinders, but the lower part was a classic tubular double cradle. In 1938, international events ended development of this 600 - and it didn't see

the light of day until 55 years later!

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: unit-construction 600cc air-cooled inverted four-cylinder four-stroke; light-alloy cylinders with cast-iron sleeves; dry-sump

lubrication

Power Rating: 30 hp @ 5000 rpm

Valves: overhead

Fuel System: one or two carburetors according to version

Transmission: 3-speed, foot-selector, shaft final drive

Frame: Upper and lower parts in cast aluminium, linked with 7 bolted steel beams

Suspension: girder forks (front); plunger (rear)

Brakes: drum (front & rear)

Wheels: 19 inch (front & rear)

The astounding MGC four, with its airplane-type inverted engine, is a forgotten dream of the 1930s that was set aside during the rush towards WW2!.