Frenchay Products
of Kingswood, Bristol
1949 David Fry established the company[1] with his brother Jeremy Fry to manufacture components for the aviation industry. The business was initially located in his father's stables at Grove House, Frenchay. Later the business moved to Kingswood, Bristol.
During down-turns in the aviation industry the company made other products including a Swiss-designed juke box, the Chantal Meteor 200.
1951 Acquired Rotork, a small electrical and mechanical engineering company in Kingswood that made electrically-operated valves.
Jeremy reformed Rotork as a separate company - see Rotork Engineering Co Ltd
Late 1950s built a Formula 2 racing car with a rear-mounted Coventry Climax FPF engine, the Fry Climax[2] but it failed to qualify for the 1959 British Grand Prix.
Made the first production version of Alex Moulton's revolutionary bicycle (with small wheels and rubber suspension).
1967 After David Fry's death, the business was taken over by Fairey Aviation but the Kingswood factory was eventually closed. The architect-designed building was demolished in 2011.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography of Jeremy Fry, ODNB