HR Godfrey and AG Frazer-Nash studied engineering together and by 1906 were collaborating on a small car now known as a 'Cyclecar'; almost a motorcycle with 4 wheels and a body. First cars used a JAP V-twin or a Peugeot engine and belt drive to the rear wheels. From 1911 GN used its own 1,100cc which because the car was so light made the GN quite sporting. Early GN cyclecars used a a belt drive to the rear wheels. After World War One GN introduced a chain drive model and competition wins were too numerous to count. The French company Salmson won a licence to produce GN cycle cars under licence in France. In 1919 British Gregoire bought out GN and the partners split up in 1922, Frazer-Nash founding his own company and HR Godfrey founding HRG. The new owner brought in a 4-cylinder water-cooled DFP engine with shaft drive to the rear wheels and the GN Cyclecars continued in production for a while, however the Salmson licence expired in 1922 and Salmson went on to develop 4-cylinder cars. Austin introduced its 'Seven' in 1922 and sounded the death knell for cycle cars. GN folded in 1925