It ’ s one of the strangest motorcycles ever produced , and now one of a handful Turner By-Van motorcycles is set to be auctioned off at Silverstone Auctions in the UK . The By-Van was one of many quirky transportation options that cropped up in postwar Britain , and was powered by a168cc twostroke engine mounted above the front wheel . The reasoning behind the odd front wheel drive configuration was to allow as much storage space as possible for the By-Van to cart around as a small two wheeled delivery vehicle . The marketing at the time sold it as an alternative to a van for smaller businesses and sole traders . Despite being an ingenious space-saving invention capable of carrying a load of up to 76kg in its 162 litre tub , the ‘ speedy mechanical errand boy ’ concept was slow to take off and so very few were produced , making this an extremely rare , if not unique , opportunity to acquire a piece of Midlands automotive history . According to Siverstone Auctions , this particular By-Van is powered by a Turner Tiger 168cc twostroke engine driving the front wheel and could reach speeds of 30mph . This By-Van has been in the same family ownership for 40 years , and is in original unrestored condition , appears never to have been registered and shows only 20 recorded miles . However , it is not the first time this By-Van has seen the light of day in recent years , as the team from Antique Archeology , who feature on The History Channel ’ s ‘ American Pickers ’ show , tried and failed to buy the vehicle back in 2015 from its late owner . Despite being offered a high price , the owner couldn ’ t bear to part with it . The By-Van is amongst 50 other Classic Motorcycles already been consigned for sale on May 14 at the Devitt MCN Festival of Motorcycling .