1.
Coach (carriage)
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A coach is originally a large, usually closed, four-wheeled carriage with two or more horses harnessed as a team, controlled by a coachman and/or one or more postilions. It had doors in the sides, with generally a front and a seat inside and, for the driver. The term coach first came into use in the 15th century, there are a number of types of coaches, with differentiations based on use, location and size. Special breeds of horses, such as the now-extinct Yorkshire Coach Horse, were developed to pull the vehicles, Kocs was the Hungarian post town in the 15th century onwards, which gave its name to a fast light vehicle, which later spread across Europe. Therefore, the English word coach, the Spanish and Portuguese coche, the German Kutsche, and it was not until about the middle of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, that coaches were introduced to England. Coaches were reputedly introduced into England from France by Henry FitzAlan, a coach with four horses is a coach-and-four. A coach together with the horses, harness and attendants is a turnout, the bodies of early coaches, as of American Concord stagecoaches, were hung on leather straps. In the eighteenth century steel springs were substituted, an improvement in suspension, a coach might have a built-in compartment called a boot, used originally as a seat for the coachman and later for storage. A luggage case for the top of a coach was called an imperial, the front and rear axles were connected by a main shaft called the perch or reach. A crossbar known as a bar supported the springs. Coaches were often decorated by using a sable brush called a liner. In the 19th century the term coach was applied to railway carriages, a park drag is also known as a private coach as it was owned by private individuals for their own personal driving. A park drag has seats on its top and is driven to a team of four well-matched carriage horses. The principal ceremonial coaches in the United Kingdom are the Gold State Coach, Irish State Coach, the business of a coachman was to drive a coach. He was also called a jarvey or jarvie, especially in Ireland, if he drove dangerously fast or recklessly he was a jehu (from Jehu, king of Israel, who was noted for his furious attacks in a chariot, or a Phaeton. A postilion or postillion sometimes rode as a guide on the horse of a pair or of one of the pairs attached to a coach. A guard on a coach was called a shooter. Traveling by coach, or pleasure driving in a coach, as in a tally-ho, was called coaching, in driving a coach, the coachman used a coachwhip, usually provided with a long lash
2.
Coachbuilder
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A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for automobiles or a manufacturer of complete horse-drawn vehicles. Coachwork is the body of a vehicle, a horse-drawn coach or carriage, or, by extension. The term is reserved for bodies built on a separate chassis. With reference to motor vehicles, auto body is the term in North American English. Coachbuilders are, carrossiers in French, carrozzeria in Italian, karosseriebauer in German, a British trade association the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers, was incorporated in 1630. Some British coachmaking firms operating in the 20th century were established even earlier, rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Annes Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer, formed in 1810. This chassis would be delivered by the manufacturer to the coachbuilder of the buyers choice, the chassis would be a rolling chassis which included the chassis frame, drivetrain, brakes, suspension, complete steering system including the wheel, radiator, scuttle and dashboard. The manufacturer delivered the chassis with lighting system, spare wheel, front and rear mudguards, the very easily damaged honeycomb radiator, later enclosed and protected by a shell, became the main visual element identifying the chassis brand. The manufacturer retained an element of control over bodies, bodies not approved by the chassis manufacturer would lose the chassis manufacturers chassis warranties. Until the second World War it would not have been unusual to order the most popular cars as only a chassis and have a local coachbuilder put a body on it for you, the Austin 7s of the 1920s and 1930s were favourite subjects. For example, Fisher Body built all of Cadillacs closed bodies in the 1910s, though automobile manufacturers brought body building skills in-house, the practice of bespoke or custom coachbuilding remained in favour among the wealthy, who continued the habit of centuries past. All ultra-luxury vehicles sold as chassis only, for instance, when Duesenberg introduced their Model J, it was offered as chassis only, for $8,500. Other examples include the Bugatti Type 57, Cadillac V-16, Ferrari 250, Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8, delahaye had no in-house coachworks, so all its chassis were bodied by independents, who created some of their most attractive designs on the Type 135. Most of the Delahayes were bodied by Chapron, Labourdette, Franay, Saoutchik, Figoni & Falaschi, Pennock, the advent of unibody construction, where the car body is unified with, and structurally integral to the chassis, made custom coachbuilding practically impossible. Hermann Graber Ramsauer & Cie, also known as Worblaufen after the place they were built, mulliner Park Ward Mulliners Nu-Track Park Ward Harold Radford Salmons Swallow Tickford Tilbury, originators of the Tilbury carriage. Thrupp & Maberly Vanden Plas Vincent of Reading Windover Wingham Martin Walter Walter Alexander & Sons, now Alexander Dennis Ltd Wrightbus James Young Brewster & Co. Brunn Budd Company Derham Earl Automobile Works Fisher Fleetwood KEM Motorworks LeBaron Locke N2A motors Inc. a Langmesser Co. Murphy Rollston Willoughby
3.
Westminster
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Westminster is an area of central London within the City of Westminster, part of the West End, on the north bank of the River Thames. Historically the area lay within St Margarets parish, City & Liberty of Westminster and it has been the home of the permanent institutions of Englands government continuously since about 1200 and is now the seat of British government. In a government context, Westminster often refers to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the closest tube stations are Westminster, St Jamess Park on the Jubilee, Circle, and District lines. Within the area is Westminster School, a public school which grew out of the Abbey. Bounding Westminster to the north is Green Park, a Royal Park of London, the area has a substantial resident population, indeed most of its listed buildings are residential. A proportion of residents are people of limited means, living in council, hotels, large Victorian homes and barracks exist nearer to Buckingham Palace. The name describes an area no more than 1 mile from Westminster Abbey, the settlement grew up around the palace and abbey, as a service area for them. The need for a church, St Margarets Westminster for the servants of the palace. It became larger and in the Georgian period became connected through urban development with the City along the Strand. It did not become a local government unit until created as a civil parish. Indeed, the Cathedral and diocesan status of the church lasted only from 1539 to 1556, as such it is first known to have had two Members of Parliament in 1545 as a new Parliamentary Borough, centuries after the City of London and Southwark were enfranchised. The historic core of Westminster is the former Thorney Island on which Westminster Abbey was built, the abbey became the traditional venue of the coronation of the kings and queens of England from that of Harold Godwinson onwards. From about 1200, near the abbey, the Palace of Westminster became the royal residence, marked by the transfer of royal treasury. Later the palace housed the developing Parliament and Englands law courts, thus London developed two focal points, the City of London and Westminster. The monarchs later moved to St James Palace and the Palace of Whitehall a little towards the north-east, the main law courts have since moved to the Royal Courts of Justice. The Westminster area formed part of the City and Liberty of Westminster in Middlesex, the ancient parish was St Margaret, after 1727 this became the civil parish of St Margaret and St John, the latter a new church required for the increasing population. The area around Westminster Abbey formed the extra-parochial Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter surrounded by —, until 1900 the local authority was the combined vestry of St Margaret and St John, which was based at Westminster City Hall in Caxton Street from 1883. The Liberty of Westminster, governed by the Westminster Court of Burgesses, also included St Martin in the Fields, Westminster had its own quarter sessions, but the Middlesex sessions also had jurisdiction
4.
Sopwith Camel
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The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It had been developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the earlier Sopwith Pup, the Camel was powered by a single rotary engine and was armed with twin synchronized machine guns. Though proving difficult to handle, it provided for a level of manoeuvrability to an experienced pilot. In total, Camel pilots have been credited with the shooting down of 1,294 enemy aircraft, the Camel also saw use as a two-seat trainer aircraft. In January 1920, the last aircraft of the type were withdrawn from RAF service and it was recognised that the new fighter would need to be faster and have a heavier armament. The design effort to produce this successor, initially designated as the Sopwith F.1, was headed by Sopwiths chief designer, early in its development, the new aircraft was simply referred to as the Big Pup. A metal fairing over the gun breeches, intended to protect the guns from freezing at altitude, however, the Camel name never had any official status in regards to the aircraft. On 22 December 1916, the prototype Camel was first flown by Harry Hawker at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, in May 1917, the first production contract for an initial batch of 250 Camels was issued by the British War Office. Throughout 1917, a total of 1,325 Camels were manufactured, by the time that production of the type came to an end, approximately 5,490 Camels of all types had been built. In early 1918, production of the navalised Ships Camel 2F.1 began, while possessing some clear similarities with the Pup, it was furnished with a noticeably bulkier fuselage. In addition to the guns, a total of four Cooper bombs could be carried for ground attack purposes. The upper wing featured a central section for the purpose of providing improved upwards visibility for the pilot. Production Camels were powered by various engines, most commonly either the Clerget 9B or the Bentley BR1. In order to evade a potential manufacturing bottleneck being imposed upon the aircraft in the event of an engine shortage. Unlike the preceding Pup and Triplane, the Camel was considered to be difficult to fly, the Camel soon gained an unfortunate reputation with pilots. Many inexperienced pilots would crash on take-off when the fuel load usually carried pushed the aircrafts centre of gravity beyond the rearmost safe limits. When in level flight, the Camel was markedly tail-heavy, the aircraft could be rigged so that at higher altitudes it could be flown hands off. A stall immediately resulted in a dangerous spin, at length, with the assistance of Lieut Morgan, who managed our workshops, I took the main tank out of several Camels and replaced with a smaller one, which enabled us to fit in dual control
5.
De Havilland Mosquito
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The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew which served during and after the Second World War. It was one of few operational front-line aircraft of the era constructed almost entirely of wood and was nicknamed The Wooden Wonder, the Mosquito was also known affectionately as the Mossie to its crews. It was also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation as a fast transport to carry small high-value cargoes to, a single passenger could be carried in the aircrafts bomb bay, which would be adapted for the purpose. When production of the Mosquito began in 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world, entering widespread service in 1942, the Mosquito was a high-speed, high-altitude photo-reconnaissance aircraft, continuing in this role throughout the war. From mid-1942 to mid-1943, Mosquito bombers flew high-speed, medium or low-altitude missions against factories, railways and other pinpoint targets in Germany, from late 1943, Mosquito bombers were formed into the Light Night Strike Force and used as pathfinders for RAF Bomber Commands heavy-bomber raids. They were also used as bombers, often dropping Blockbuster bombs –4,000 lb cookies – in high-altitude. As a night fighter from mid-1942, the Mosquito intercepted Luftwaffe raids on the United Kingdom, starting in July 1942, Mosquito night-fighter units raided Luftwaffe airfields. As part of 100 Group, it was a fighter and intruder supporting RAF Bomber Commands heavy bombers that reduced bomber losses during 1944 and 1945. Second Tactical Air Force Mosquitos supported the British Army during the 1944 Normandy Campaign, from 1943, Mosquitos with RAF Coastal Command strike squadrons attacked Kriegsmarine U-boats and intercepted transport ship concentrations. The Mosquito flew with the Royal Air Force and other air forces in the European, Mediterranean and Italian theatres. The Mosquito was also operated by the RAF in the South East Asian theatre, during the 1950s, the RAF replaced the Mosquito with the jet-powered English Electric Canberra. By the early-mid-1930s, de Havilland had a reputation for innovative high-speed aircraft with the DH.88 Comet racer, the later DH.91 Albatross airliner pioneered the composite wood construction that the Mosquito used. The 22-passenger Albatross could cruise at 210 miles per hour at 11,000 feet,100 miles per hour better than the Handley Page H. P.42, on 8 September 1936, the British Air Ministry issued Specification P. Aviation firms entered heavy designs with new high-powered engines and multiple turrets, leading to the production of the Avro Manchester. In May 1937, as a comparison to P. 13/36, George Volkert, in 20 pages, Volkert planned an aerodynamically clean medium bomber to carry 3,000 pounds of bombs at a cruising speed of 300 miles per hour. There was support in the RAF and Air Ministry, Captain R N Liptrot, Research Director Aircraft 3, appraised Volkerts design, there were, however, counter-arguments that, although such a design had merit, it would not necessarily be faster than enemy fighters for long. The idea of a small, fast bomber gained support at an earlier stage than sometimes acknowledged though it was likely that the Air Ministry envisaged it using light alloy components. Geoffrey de Havilland also believed a bomber with an aerodynamic design and he thought that adapting the Albatross to meet the RAFs requirements could save time
6.
Airspeed Oxford
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The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War. With the expansion of the Royal Air Force in the 1930s the service had a requirement for an advanced training aircraft. The Oxford, built to Specification T. 23/36, was based on Airspeeds commercial 8-seater aircraft, the Oxford was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, with a semi-monocoque constructed fuselage and wooden tail unit. Its main landing gear retracted into the engine nacelles. It used conventional landing gear configuration, with a normal crew of three, the seating could be changed to suit the training role. The cockpit had dual controls and two seats for a pilot and either a navigator or second pilot, when used for bomb aimer training, the second set of controls was removed and the space was used for a prone bomb-aimer. When used as a trainer, the second seat was pushed back to line up with the chart table. Aft of the cockpit was an operator station, facing aft on the starboard side of the fuselage. In the Oxford I a dorsal turret was located amidships, the aircraft could be used for training navigators, bomb-aimers, wireless operators, air gunners and camera operators. The Oxford could also be used as an air ambulance, orders were placed for a first batch of 136 aircraft, to allow a more economical flow-line production at the Portsmouth factory. The first prototype aircraft L4534 first flew at Portsmouth on 19 June 1937, two variants were planned, the Mark I as a general-purpose training aircraft with a dorsal gun turret and the Mark II without a turret but fitted with dual-controls. As further large contracts for the aircraft were placed with Airspeed, it was arranged that de Havilland Aircraft would build them at Hatfield later, other companies also built the aircraft. The Oxford was used to prepare complete aircrews for RAF Bomber Command and could simultaneously train pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, gunners, in addition to training duties, Oxfords were used in communications and anti-submarine roles and as ambulances in the Middle East. The Oxford was the trainer for the Empire Air Training Scheme and British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. In 1941, the aviator Amy Johnson went missing in an Airspeed Oxford, after the war,152 surplus Oxfords were converted into small 6-seat commercial airliners called the AS.65 Consul. A few Oxfords were acquired by the Hellenic Air Force and used during the Greek Civil War by No.355 Squadron RHAF. Although the Oxford was equipped with wooden or Fairey-Reed metal propellers, the cockpit contained a propeller pitch lever. This was to reinforce this important step for trainee pilots, Oxfords continued to serve the Royal Air Force as trainers and light transports until the last was withdrawn from service in 1956
7.
Barker (coachbuilder)
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Barker & Co. was a coachbuilder, a maker of luxurious carriages and in the 20th century bodywork for very expensive prestige cars. Founded in London in 1710 by an officer it more recently traded as Barker & Co. After the 1920s Barker & Co seemed to be unable to keep up with advances in the use of alloys for framing. Requests for sturdier bodies were met by using heavier components which hampered the finished products performance, Barker was the recommended bodywork supplier for early Rolls-Royce cars, although the choice was the customers and there were several other prominent builders. One such Rolls-Royce with Barker bodywork, The Silver Ghost, is now the most valuable car in the world, the Silver Ghost was originally built for Rolls-Royce for use in their publicity activities. Some idea of the scale of their operations may be gauged from their advertisement in The Times on the opening of the 1912 Motor Show at Londons Olympia and they described themselves as Coachbuilders to H. M. The King, London Retailers and Body Specialists for Rolls-Royce Cars and they advised the reader that Barker Bodies on Rolls-Royce chassis may be viewed on their own stand 146 as well as on Rolls-Royce Stand 72. The note is added, Nearly 100 Rolls-Royce Cars, with Barker Bodies, of types to order. Complete Rolls-Royce Cars ready for immediate delivery, 66-68, South Audley Street, London W. Telephone Mayfair 5435. These pressings were assembled and finished and the bodies fitted out at their former factory at Crewe. However Park Ward, another coachbuilder which had come to specialise in Rolls-Royce, as well as Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Barker also constructed bodywork on chassis by other manufacturers including Daimler, Napier, Packard, Cadillac, Duesenberg, and Mercedes-Benz. Rolls-Royce Daimler special sports coupés One of these coupés was the car of HRH Princess Elizabeth. From the announcement of their opening of new premises in Willesden 2 January 1939. Limited Showrooms,66, South Audley Street, London, W1 Repair Works,77, Kings Road, Chelsea, Barker & Co at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Barker & Co at The Coachbuilders Encyclopedia — online
8.
Daimler Company
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The company bought the right to the use of the Daimler name simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft of Cannstatt, Germany. In 1933, BSA bought the Lanchester Motor Company and made it a subsidiary of Daimler, the company was awarded a Royal Warrant to provide cars to the British Monarch in 1902, it lost this privilege in the 1950s after being supplanted by Rolls-Royce. In 1960, BSA sold Daimler to Jaguar Cars, which continued Daimlers line, Jaguar was then merged into the British Motor Corporation in 1966 and British Leyland in 1968. Under these companies, Daimler became a trim level for Jaguar cars except for the 1968-1992 Daimler DS420 limousine. Jaguar was split off from British Leyland in 1984 and bought by the Ford Motor Company in 1989, Ford stopped using the Daimler name on Jaguars in 2007 selling Jaguar to Tata Motors in 2008. Tata bought the Daimler and Lanchester brands with Jaguar, but has not used them so far, engineer Frederick Richard Simms was supervising construction of an aerial cableway of his own design for the Bremen Exhibition in 1889 when he saw tiny railcars powered by Gottlieb Daimlers motors. Simms introduced Daimler’s motors to England in 1890 to power launches, in an agreement dated 18 February 1891, he obtained British and Empire rights for the Daimler patents. That month, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft lent Simms a motorboat with a 2 hp engine, in June 1891 Simms had set up a London office at 49 Leadenhall Street and founded Simms & Co consulting engineers. In May 1892, the motorboat, which Simms had named Cannstatt, hendriks severed his connections with Simms & Co. in February 1893. Simms Daimler-related work was moved into a new company, The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited. Following the success of Daimler-powered Peugeots and Panhards at the 1894 Paris–Rouen competition, Simms decided to open a car factory. That month, he arranged for the syndicate to receive a ten percent commission on all British sales of Daimler-powered Panhard & Levassor cars, at the same meeting, Simms produced the first licence to operate a car under the Daimler patents. It was for a 3½ hp Panhard & Levassor that had bought in France by The Honourable Evelyn Ellis. On 3 July, after Ellis bought the licence, the car was landed at Southampton and driven by Ellis to Micheldever near Winchester where Ellis met Simms, Ellis later drove it on to Malvern. This was the first long journey by motorcar in Britain, Simms later referred to the car as a Daimler Motor Carriage. Simms asked his friend Daimler to be consulting engineer to the new enterprise, investor Harry John Lawson had set out to use The British Motor Syndicate Limited to monopolise motor car production in Britain by taking over every patent he could. Welcomed by Simms, the negotiations proceeded on the basis that new company should acquire The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited as a going concern, including the name. In order that the Daimler licences could be transferred from Simms to the new company, by this time, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach had withdrawn from Daimler Motoren Gesellschafts business to concentrate on cars and engines for them
9.
Birmingham Small Arms Company
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This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited or BSA Company or its successors. At its peak, BSA was the largest motorcycle producer in the world, in the late 1950s and early 1960s poor management and failure to develop new products in the motorcycle division led to a dramatic decline of sales to its major USA market. The management had failed to appreciate the importance of the resurgent Japanese motorcycle industry, the original company, The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited, remains a subsidiary of Manganese Bronze but its name was changed in 1987. BSA began in June 1861 in the Gun Quarter, Birmingham, England and it was formed by a group of fourteen gunsmith members of the Birmingham Small Arms Trade Association. The War Office provided this new grouping of gunsmiths free access to technical drawings, the newly formed company purchased 25 acres of land at Small Heath, Birmingham, built a factory there and made a road on the site calling it Armoury Road. This machinery brought to Birmingham manifested the principle of the inter-changeability of parts, BSAs resort to the use of machinery was rewarded in 1863 with an order for 20,000 Turkish infantry rifles. F. Swinburn under the chairmanship of John Dent Goodman, the first War Office contract was not agreed until 1868. In 1879, the factory, without work, was shut for a year, the military arms trade was precarious. The next year BSA branched out into bicycle manufacture, the gun factory proved remarkably adaptable to the manufacture of cycle parts. What cycles needed was large quantities of standard parts accurately machined at low prices, bicycle production ceased in 1887 as the company concentrated on producing the Lee–Metford magazine-loading rifle for the War Office which was re-equipping the British Army with it. The order was for 1,200 rifles per week, BSA recommenced manufacturing bicycles on their own behalf from 1908. BSA Cycles Ltd was set up in 1919 for the manufacture of bicycles and motorcycles. BSA sold the business to Raleigh in 1957 after separating the bicycle and motorcycle business in 1953. In 1893, BSA commenced making bicycle hubs and continued to supply the cycle trade with bicycle parts up to 1936, BSA bought The Eadie Manufacturing Company of Redditch in 1907 and so began to manufacture the Eadie two speed hub gear and the Eadie coaster brake hub. BSA also signed an agreement with the Three Speed Gear Syndicate in 1907 to manufacture a 3 speed hub under licence. This was later classified as the Sturmey Archer Type X. BSA introduced a Duo hub in the late 1930s which was capable of one fixed gear, all BSA hub gear production temporarily ceased in 1939, until they recommenced making their 3 speed hub around 1945. The Eadie coaster hub made a return in 1953 on two BSA bicycle models. BSA forever ceased production of their hub gears in 1955, BSA sold its ammunition business in 1897 to Birmingham Metal and Munitions Company Limited part of the Nobel-Dynamite Trust, through Kynoch a forerunner of ICI
10.
British International Motor Show
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It then returned to London, for July 2006 and July 2008, at the new location of ExCeL. The 2010 and 2012 shows were subsequently cancelled, the event is recognised by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs dAutomobiles. The London Motor Show relaunched at Battersea Park from 5 to 8 May 2016, britains first motor show—for horseless carriages—was held in South Kensington in 1896 at the Imperial Institute under the auspices of Lawsons Motor Car Club. The July 2006, and July 2008 shows returned in ExCeL, London, prior to the cancellation of the 2010 and 2012 shows, London Motorfair, an alternative London show was held at Earls Court biannually from 1977 to 1999. In December 2014, it was announced by Prince Michael of Kent, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, the 2016 British Motor Show featured the United Kingdom’s land speed record attempt car, known as Bloodhound, which is designed to reach 1,000 mph. The cars listed are those announced in the late summer lead-up to the show or during the show, manufacturers did announce other cars at times to suit them and as that practice grew the public lost interest and the motor show finished its long run in the mid seventies
11.
Rolls-Royce Limited
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This article covers from 1904 to 1987 when this business by then owned by Rolls-Royce plc was again listed on the Stock Exchange. For the present day owners of the business enterprise, see Rolls-Royce Holdings for aero-engines etc. Rolls-Royce Limited owned a British luxury-car and aero engine manufacturing business founded in 1904 by Charles Stewart Rolls, Rolls-Royce Limited was incorporated on 15 March 1906 as a vehicle for their ownership of their Rolls-Royce business. Their business quickly developed a reputation for superior engineering quality, best car in the world, Rolls-Royce became a leading manufacturer of piston aero-engines after it was brought into building them by the First World War. In the late 1960s, Rolls-Royce Limited became hopelessly crippled by its mismanagement of development of its advanced RB211 jet engine and the consequent cost over-runs. In 1971 their financial collapse was dealt with by sale, at a price which took years to negotiate, of the entire business to a new government-owned company. Insolvent Rolls-Royce Limited was put into liquidation, everything that could be sold off was sold off but more than 45 years later there are still assets remaining to be sold. Rolls-Royce Limited continued to trade and realise the surplus assets bought from the former company, in 1977 Rolls-Royce Limited, given the necessary consent, was re-named Rolls-Royce Limited. It remained nationalised until 1987 when, re-named Rolls-Royce plc, the government sold its shares to the public, today it owns and operates Rolls-Royces principal business though it is no longer listed on the stock exchange. Instead it has been a subsidiary of a holding company currently Rolls-Royce Holdings plc since 2003. A marketing survey in 1987 showed there was one brand name more widely known than Rolls-Royce. In 1884 Henry Royce started an electrical and mechanical business and he made his first car, a two-cylinder Royce 10, in his Manchester factory in 1904. Henry Royce was introduced to Charles Rolls at the Midland Hotel, Rolls was proprietor of an early motor car dealership, C. S. Rolls & Co. in Fulham. In spite of his preference for three- or four-cylinder cars, Rolls was impressed with the Royce 10, the first Rolls-Royce car, the Rolls-Royce 10 hp, was unveiled at the Paris Salon in December 1904. During 1906 Royce had been developing an improved model with more power than the Rolls-Royce 30 hp. Initially designated the 40/50 hp, this was Rolls-Royces first all-new model, the new 40/50 was responsible for Rolls-Royces early reputation with over 6,000 built. Its chassis was used as a basis for the first British armoured car used in world wars Aero-engine manufacture began in 1914 because the government requested it. After the First World War, Rolls-Royce successfully avoided attempts to encourage British car manufacturers to merge, faced with falling sales of the 40/50 Rolls-Royce introduced the smaller, cheaper Twenty in 1922, effectively ending the one-model policy followed since 1908
12.
Daimler SP250
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The Daimler SP250 is a sports car built by the Daimler Company, a British manufacturer in Coventry, from 1959 to 1964. It was the last car to be launched by Daimler before its parent company, shortly after being appointed Managing Director of BSAs Automotive Division in 1956, Edward Turner was asked to design a saloon car powered by a V8 engine. The committees evaluation centred on the prototypes being tested at the time, two-thirds of the sales of the car were expected to be in the United States. Bumpers were originally an optional extra, with the basic specification not including full bumpers, the A-spec. Cars had recesses behind the handles, but these were phased out. The SP250 had a body, four-wheel Girling disc brakes. The car was described as a 2+2, but the rear seat offered very limited leg-room unless the front seats were pushed fully forward. Engine, V8 iron block, water cooled, OHV, bore 76 mm x stroke 70 mm, stiff 5 main bearing crankshaft, dynamically balanced. Max Torque 155 lb·ft at 3600 rpm, ignition, Coil and distributor with conventional automatic advance & retard. Lubrication, Submerged gear oil pump with full flow filter, cooling, Pressurised radiator with fan, pump and thermostat control. Transmission,4 speeds with synchromesh on top three ratios, rear Axle, Hypoid bevel 3.58,1 Steering, Cam & follower. Suspension, Front independent with coil springs, rear live axle with half-elliptic leaf springs. Brakes, Girling Discs on all four wheels, hydraulic operation, the management of Daimler decided to make a large number of the cars features optional extras because automotive import duties into the United States were not applied to optional extras. Chrysler, whose Dodge division owned the trademark for the Dart model name, with little time to come up with a new name, Daimler used the project number, SP250, as the model number. Between twenty-six and thirty black SP250s were used by the British Metropolitan Police in London and these were used by the Traffic Department to catch up with speeders, especially café racers. Traffic police in Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester, Southend and Surrey also used the SP250 for speed enforcement, as did forces in Australia. After the opening of the first section of the M1 in 1959, Jaguar bought Daimler in 1960, and were immediately concerned about the chassis flex. Version with extra outriggers on the chassis and a hoop between the A-posts
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