Briton Car Company of Wolverhampton
1909 Company set up to produce the cheaper Star cars under a different name, what had been called Starlings and Stuarts. The designs and production were taken over by the newly formed Briton Motor Co run by Edward Lisle, Junior. The cars were made at Star's Stewart Street Works up until 1913
They started producing the Little Briton, a 10 hp two-cylinder car and soon expanded to offer 12, 14, 16 hp cars
1910 Produced a 10 hp model with four cylinders
1912 June. Some details of the new 10-hp four-cylinder car.[1]
1912 November. Changes to the 10-12hp car. Also have 15.9hp car.[2]
1913 After a move to Lower Walsall Street, they rationalised the range to offer 10/12 and 14/16 hp cars and commercials.
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 Petrol Motor Commercial Vehicles see the 1917 Red Book
1914 Directory lists them as Briton Motor Co, Stewart Street, Wolverhampton and as motor car manufacturers
1914 October. Details of new 10hp plus 10-12hp and 14-16hp cars.[3]
WWI Produced ambulances and the Ensign commercial vehicle
1920 Introduced a 10 hp light car
Announced a new range including a Chapuius Dornier engined sports car
1921 Production fell to 65 cars in the year
1922 Listed. Established 1912. Capital £100,000. Directors: W. Hamblett (Chairman), E. Lisle (Managing), L. W. Lee, G. H. Bradford, W. W. King, and R. H. Johnston. Manufactures.— Motor cars.
1922 Went into liquidation and the rights to the cars was taken over by Charles Aaron Weight of the Staffordshire Engineering and Boiler Coating Co (SEBCO) at Willenhall where over the next seven year he produced a further 600 of the 10 hp light car and of the 10/12 model. Production ceased in 1929.
The Briton factory in Lower Walsall Street was taken over by AJS.
See Also
Sources of Information
- 1914 Wolverhampton Red Book and Directory
- [1]
- Powered Vehicles made in the Black Country by Jim Boulton and Harold Parsons. Published 1990. ISBN 0 904015 30 0