Dart Engineering Co
Dart Engineering Co. of Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry
Dart were motorcycles produced from 1923 to 1924 to a design by A. A. Sidney, who had previously worked for William Beardmore and Co.
The company was principally concerned with engine production and hoped to find enough interest in order not to manufacture complete motorcycles, but did so for a short period.
1923 A machine was produced, priced £85. The 348cc engine had an overhead camshaft driven by three long cranks spaced at 120 degrees and driven by eccentrics on a timing pinion in mesh with the crankshaft pinion. The firm also adopted its own carburettor, which had a flat slide. In May of that year a Dart was entered at Brooklands, in the 'Century' races, without much success. Later that year the business was operating from an address in Bristol.
1924 The first example of a Dart engined model by an established manufacturer was seen in the New Scale from Manchester. The engine now had the camshaft driven by roller chain, concealed in an aluminium case on the right side of the cylinder barrel, similar to the later AJS pattern. New Scale was short-lived and Dart was seemingly unable to find other outlets, so the name soon disappeared.
1924 Manufacture later moved to Bristol
See Also
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
- The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle by Peter Henshaw. Published 2007. ISBN 978 1 8401 3967 9
- Coventry’s Motorcycle Heritage by Damien Kimberley. Published 2009. ISBN 978 0 7509 5125 9