Grace's Guide

Calthorpe Motor Co

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Calthorpe Motor Co of Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham made cars and motorcycles from 1904 to 1932.

Contents 1 Cars 2 Motorcycles 3 See Also 4 Sources of Information

[edit] Cars

• 1904 The company started out as a Birmingham bicycle maker run by George W. Hands who, in 1904, made his first motor cars, a 10 hp four cylinder model. They briefly made some larger types but it was in the light car field that they specialised using proprietary White and Poppe engines. The cars were successfully raced in France in the Coupe de l'Auto series.

• 1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of cars see the 1917 Red Book

• 1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of motorcycles see the 1917 Red Book

• 1913 A small car was announced in 1913 for the 1914 season with the 10 hp Minor which proved to be a real large car in miniature with three-speed gearbox and shaft drive.

• 1919 After the war, the large cars were dropped but the Minor re-appeared with a slightly larger engine of 1,261cc.

• 1920 A Mr J. Mathews was in charge of production and a target of making 50 cars a week was set. The cars continued to have excellent coachwork made by the Calthorpe subsidiary company of Mulliner (acquired in 1917) who had an adjacent factory. Sporting activity continued with Woolf Barnatto, amongst others, racing at Brooklands. Hands briefly left the company in 1922 to set up his own Hands make of cars in the Calthorpe motorcycle factory in Barn Street, Birmingham, but returned in 1924. Whilst away he developed the six cylinder overhead camshaft engine that was fitted for a short time to the 12/20. The Hands cars seem to have used Dorman engines.

• The days of the high quality light car were coming to an end by the late 1920s and sales of the fairly expensive Calthorpe were declining. A receiver had to be appointed in 1924 but he kept production going for a while.

• 1925 A final fling with the 1925 15/45 six cylinder 2 litre car was really too late and production of the cars had virtually ceased by 1928. About 5,000 cars were made in the post-war period, pre-war production is uncertain. Very few cars have survived.

• There was also a range of Calthorpe Motorcycles (see below) and these carried on being made after car production had ended.

[edit] Motorcycles

Calthorpe produced motorcycles from 1909 to 1947.

• The machines were built by the Minstrel and Rea Cycle Co of Barn Street in Birmingham.

• 1909 Late that year, after many successful years in the motor car trade, the company made its motorcycle debut at the Stanley show. As with their cars, the motorcycles were fitted with a 3.5hp White and Poppe engine. They also had a chain-driven Simms magneto, Amac carburettor, belt drive and Druid forks.

• 1912 They used Precision engines and began to add further models, including a lightweight. Then came a model with water cooling.

• 1914 The Calthorpe Minor was produced with a 1.25 engine and a two-speed gearbox in the crankcase.

• 1915-1922 A two-stroke model appeared in 1915 - this used a JAP engine. It continued for 1916 and from then on a 2.75hp four-stroke and 2.5hp two-stroke, both with Enfield gears were built. These continued well into the post-war years.

• 1922 The two-stroke also became available with a single speed and belt drive as an option. They were then joined by a 350cc two-stroke with a three-speed Burman gearbox and chain-cum-belt transmission.

• 1923 Another version of that model became available with sidecar. The four-stroke changed to a 249cc sv Blackburne engine and two speeds, with either belt or chain final-drive.

• 1924 The 245cc two-stroke had a three-speed Burman gearbox; the 350cc version was dropped and a JAP was used in sv and ohv forms along with a 147cc Villiers engine.

• 1925 The all-new 348cc Sports model arrived with own-designed engine, three-speed Burman gearbox, light frame and Druid forks.

• 1926 A Super Sports version was added.

• 1927 A 498cc ohc single of their own design appeared.

• 1928 The company was only using its own engines, with the 348cc in its two forms. The camshaft model was then dropped.

• 1929 Saw the arrival of their best known model - the Ivory Calthorpe. For this they took the 348cc ohv model, revised and modified it, added a saddle tank and finished the tank and mudguards in off-white.

• 1930 There was a single-model range. Following the trend of the time, they gave it an inclined cylinder and listed it as Ivory the Second, which then went on to Ivory III.

• 1932 By now there was the 494cc Ivory IV, and for that year only there was also 247cc two-stroke Ivory Minor.

• 1933 Only the 494cc model was listed, as the Major.

• 1934 That model was joined by a 247cc model. Following on came 348cc and competition versions and those continued throughout the decade.

• 1937 The firm of Pride and Clarke of London had exclusive rights to sell the marque, which had changed its colour to become Red Calthorpe. This change did not boost sales; the firm went into liquidation and was then bought by Bruce Douglas, who moved the plant to his company of that name, in Bristol.

• 1939 In May of that year, Bruce Douglas announced a three-model range using Matchless engines. A few of these were built before the factory turned to war efforts.

• 1947 After World Ward II the name reappeared as Calthorpe-DMW, on a machine using a 122cc Villiers engine.

• Note: By 1950, the above had led on to the the DMW range.

[edit] See Also

[edit] Sources of Information

• The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 674 X
• Miller’s Price Guide to Classic Motorcycles
• [1] Wikipedia
• The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle by Peter Henshaw. Published 2007. ISBN 978 1 8401 3967 9