Obscure British Manufacturers.
Discussion
Another Coventry based manufacturer - the immortal Cluley. There is one in the Coventry Transport Museum, which I keep meaning to go to look at, as it used to belong to my father. I think there are only about seven left.
http://www.transport-museum.com/aboutthemuseum/cov...
It was his daily transport when he was at university in the early '50s, until he went up-market and high-powered with the purchase of a 1926 Vauxhall 14/40, which remained his daily driver until around the time I arrived in the late '50s. His take on such vehicles was that he'd grown up with Meccano, and these old cars were basically big Meccano sets that could sometimes provide transport as a side benefit.
There is a short write-up of the Cluley by him in the fantastic book "Halcyon Days" by Rodney Dale:
http://www.fernhouse.com/book-pages/halcyondays.ht... - by the way, this book is a must-read for any fan of old cars. Rodney Dale and his dad ran all sorts of things, including Ghosts and an 8-litre Bentley, as cheap everyday transport, in the '50s.
There is a brief extract on the Cluley here:
http://www.fernhouse.com/book-pages/hd19262.html
The Cluley remained a by-word for eccentric and probably dubious engineering as far as my father was concerned until the end of his life, although it had also given him enormous fun, and cheap transport quite often. The 14/40, on the other hand, he always spoke highly of, and its departure in awkward circumstances remained one of those subjects to be avoided... Pre-GM Vauxhalls were a little different from the later crop, of course.
http://www.transport-museum.com/aboutthemuseum/cov...
It was his daily transport when he was at university in the early '50s, until he went up-market and high-powered with the purchase of a 1926 Vauxhall 14/40, which remained his daily driver until around the time I arrived in the late '50s. His take on such vehicles was that he'd grown up with Meccano, and these old cars were basically big Meccano sets that could sometimes provide transport as a side benefit.
There is a short write-up of the Cluley by him in the fantastic book "Halcyon Days" by Rodney Dale:
http://www.fernhouse.com/book-pages/halcyondays.ht... - by the way, this book is a must-read for any fan of old cars. Rodney Dale and his dad ran all sorts of things, including Ghosts and an 8-litre Bentley, as cheap everyday transport, in the '50s.
There is a brief extract on the Cluley here:
http://www.fernhouse.com/book-pages/hd19262.html
The Cluley remained a by-word for eccentric and probably dubious engineering as far as my father was concerned until the end of his life, although it had also given him enormous fun, and cheap transport quite often. The 14/40, on the other hand, he always spoke highly of, and its departure in awkward circumstances remained one of those subjects to be avoided... Pre-GM Vauxhalls were a little different from the later crop, of course.
Old Merc said:
Interesting NLB,All I can find is information and images of 20`s Cluley`s,apparently the Coventry factory was bombed in 1940 and they built a new one in Kenilworth.Unfortunately I can not find any onfo or images on post war Cluley`s. 
Lovely ad, isn't it. "Electric lighting and starting in each case... from 5-45 mph on top gear..."... and, of course, the necessity to point out that such a vehicle was aimed at the owner-driver.I think that is probably the model that my father owned... the Coventry Museum website has an entry for their (and his old) Cluley giving it as a 1923 Model 10/10.
Edited by NLB on Thursday 20th September 11:52
tali1 said:
crossley burney streamline
It was built in the infamous "Jam factory" in Maidenhead, home of many a hopeless cause. A book was written once about the premises, because of the number of car makers who set up there and then died a death.The prototype had an Alvis engine which would have been underpowered at 1481 cc, but the ones made for sale had 3=litre Beverley-Barnes , 3.2-litre Armstrong-siddeley or 4.4-litre Lycoming engines. They only built 12, and then sold the rights to Crossley, who built 24 with their own 2-litre engine, with the radiator moved to the front.
An early attempt at streamlining, and the long wheelbase meant for a comfy ride.
nicanary said:
It was built in the infamous "Jam factory" in Maidenhead, home of many a hopeless cause. A book was written once about the premises, because of the number of car makers who set up there and then died a death.
Never heard of this place where was it? Do you know the title of the book, living in Maidnehead I'd find that interesting. I wonder if it was the same place that the Marendaz, which mentioned them earlier in this thread, was built. RichB said:
Never heard of this place where was it? Do you know the title of the book, living in Maidnehead I'd find that interesting. I wonder if it was the same place that the Marendaz, which mentioned them earlier in this thread, was built.
Spot on. The book was called "Lost Causes of Motoring" and was written by Lord Montagu. I think there is a whole chapter devoted to the Jam Factory. and the other chapters would interest forum members who like this thread.I'm pretty sure the Marendaz was one of the other makers who rented the place at some time; I had the book many years ago, and I see that there are some on Abe Books at about £15.
Thank you. Do you happen to know who made jam there before it was a car factory?
ETA - Google reveals it was the St. Martin's Jam Factory on the Cordwallis Industrial Estate. Never heard of St. Martin's Jams myself... Factory was hot by a flying bomb in 1944.
ETA - Google reveals it was the St. Martin's Jam Factory on the Cordwallis Industrial Estate. Never heard of St. Martin's Jams myself... Factory was hot by a flying bomb in 1944.
Edited by RichB on Thursday 20th September 17:21
jenard jabeeka - only 1 built
The prototype had an Alvis engine which would have been underpowered at 1481 cc, but the ones made for sale had 3=litre Beverley-Barnes , 3.2-litre Armstrong-siddeley or 4.4-litre Lycoming engines. They only built 12, and then sold the rights to Crossley, who built 24 with their own 2-litre engine, with the radiator moved to the front.
An early attempt at streamlining, and the long wheelbase meant for a comfy ride.
nicanary said:
tali1 said:
crossley burney streamline
It was built in the infamous "Jam factory" in Maidenhead, home of many a hopeless cause. A book was written once about the premises, because of the number of car makers who set up there and then died a death.The prototype had an Alvis engine which would have been underpowered at 1481 cc, but the ones made for sale had 3=litre Beverley-Barnes , 3.2-litre Armstrong-siddeley or 4.4-litre Lycoming engines. They only built 12, and then sold the rights to Crossley, who built 24 with their own 2-litre engine, with the radiator moved to the front.
An early attempt at streamlining, and the long wheelbase meant for a comfy ride.
Ketterings only car maker Owen Robinson produced this Robinson. As a kid i used to go round my mates house whose dad had a collection of this Robinson an Overlander and a De Dion Bouton with a Healey 3000 as his wifes shopping car! The cars often competed in the London - Brighton etc.
The Robinson now resides in Kettering museum
The Robinson now resides in Kettering museum
A word on Marendaz; in the mid 70s I was a very green trainee solicitor with Lincolnshire County Council; I was given a trading standards case to deal with and the compalainant was none other than Captain DMK Marendaz . He lived in a very large house out on the Lincs Wolds - Asterby Hall ?- and he would pen these utterly bonkers letters about how he had been ripped off.If I recall correctly he'd bought a 250 Merc secondhand years before and because some tiny fault had appeared he wanted the Council to throw the book at the garage who sold it to him. Frequent referemce was made to the legendary qualities of the mighty Marendaz special. I later found out that the poor old bugger had been banned from the public libraries because of his rather patrician belef that the library service was a sort of free bookshop; he'd order lots of esoteric and expensive tomes and they would never be seen again. If challenged the toff charm disappeared and was replaced by an utterly vile and abusive temper.
coppice said:
A word on Marendaz; in the mid 70s I was a very green trainee solicitor with Lincolnshire County Council; I was given a trading standards case to deal with and the compalainant was none other than Captain DMK Marendaz . He lived in a very large house out on the Lincs Wolds - Asterby Hall ?- and he would pen these utterly bonkers letters about how he had been ripped off.If I recall correctly he'd bought a 250 Merc secondhand years before and because some tiny fault had appeared he wanted the Council to throw the book at the garage who sold it to him. Frequent referemce was made to the legendary qualities of the mighty Marendaz special. I later found out that the poor old bugger had been banned from the public libraries because of his rather patrician belef that the library service was a sort of free bookshop; he'd order lots of esoteric and expensive tomes and they would never be seen again. If challenged the toff charm disappeared and was replaced by an utterly vile and abusive temper.
My reading of the history books suggest that he was a bit of a charlatan. A guy not to buy a used car from.Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff