Imperial (British automobile)

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Imperial was the name used for three separate makes of British car.

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Imperial (Manchester) 1901-1906

The 1904 Imperial in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Imperial (Manchester) 1904.jpg
The 1904 Imperial in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

Imperial Autocar Manufacturing company was based in Manchester, England. Two cars were introduced in 1901 with either a 3.5 hp 2 cylinder engine under the seat or 6 hp 2 cylinder engine front mounted.

Manchester City and metropolitan borough in England

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 545,500 as of 2017. It lies within the United Kingdom's second-most populous built-up area, with a population of 3.2 million. It is fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and an arc of towns with which it forms a continuous conurbation. The local authority is Manchester City Council.

Later the company sold French Lacoste et Battman models with Imperial bodies. The last ones seem to have been sold around 1906. [1]

Imperial (Croydon) 1904-1905

Another Imperial was made by the Anti-Vibrator company of Croydon, Surrey. These were electrically powered with a motor in each rear wheel. Unusually for the time, the car had integral construction of body and chassis. [1]

Croydon town in South London, England

Croydon is a large town in south London, England, 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of Charing Cross. The principal settlement in the London Borough of Croydon, it is one of the largest commercial districts outside Central London, with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy.

Imperial (London) 1914

The Imperial cyclecar was made by Implitico, a theatre lighting company in London, [1] for one year only immediately before the First World War. The power came from an 8 hp V-twin Precision engine with a "gearbox" giving seven forward speeds and optional reverse using belts and pulleys.

Cyclecar tiny car designs briefly popular in the 1910s–20s

A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car.

Beardmore Precision Motorcycles

Beardmore Precision Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer. The original Precision company was set up by Frank E.Baker in Birmingham, and quickly established a reputation for performance motorcycle engines, supplying Haden, and Sun Motorcycles.

The Model A cost £110 and had reverse, the Model B at £95 did without. About 12 cars were made. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN   1-57958-293-1.