Invicta (car)

Last updated

Invicta logo Invicta logo.jpg
Invicta logo

Invicta is a British automobile manufacturer. The brand has been available intermittently through successive decades. Initially, the manufacturer was based in Cobham, Surrey, England, from 1925 to 1933, then in Chelsea, London, England, from 1933 to 1938 and finally in Virginia Water, Surrey, England, from 1946 to 1950. More recently, the name was revived for the Invicta S1 sports car produced between 2004 and 2012.

Contents

First incarnation

4 1/2 litre long wheelbase NLC, 1932 Red Invicta left front.jpg
4½ litre long wheelbase NLC, 1932
4 1/2 litre Meadows engine in an S-type 2007-06-16 Invicta S-Type (Motor), 4467 cm3, Bj. 1931.jpg
4½ litre Meadows engine in an S-type

This manufacturer was founded by Noel Macklin with Oliver Lyle of the sugar family providing finance. Assembly took place in Macklin's garage at his home at Fairmile Cottage on the main London to Portsmouth road in Cobham, Surrey. Macklin had previously tried car making with Eric-Campbell & Co Limited and his own Silver Hawk Motor Company Limited [1] [2] The Invicta cars were designed to combine flexibility, the ability to accelerate from virtual standstill in top gear, with sporting performance. With the assistance of William (Willie) Watson, his mechanic from pre-World War I racing days, [3] a prototype was built on a Bayliss-Thomas frame with Coventry Simplex engine in the stables of Macklin's house on the western side of Cobham.

SC and LC Chassis

The first production car, the 1925 2½ litre used a Meadows straight six, overhead-valve engine and four-speed gearbox in a chassis with semi elliptical springs all round and cost from £595. Two different chassis lengths were available, 9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m)SC and 10 feet (3.0 m)LC to cater for the customer's choice of bodywork. As demand grew a lot of the construction work went to Lenaerts and Dolphens in Barnes, London but final assembly and test remained at Fairmile. [3] The engine grew to 3 litres in 1926 and 4½ litres in late 1928.

NLC and A Type Chassis

The larger engine was used in the William Watson designed 1929 4½ litre NLC chassis available in short 9-foot-10-inch (3.00 m) or long 10-foot-6-inch (3.20 m) versions, but the less expensive A Type replaced the NLC in 1930.

4 1/2 litre S-type from 1931 Cream Invicta.jpg
4½ litre S-type from 1931

S-type

In 1930 the S-type was launched at the London Motor Show. [3] Still using the 4½ litre Meadows engine but in a low chassis slung under the rear axle. About 75 were made. [4]

1½ litre

In an attempt to widen the market appeal the 1½ litre straight-six overhead-cam Blackburne engined 12/45 L-type was announced in 1932. It was a large car with its 9-foot-10-inch (3.00 m) wheelbase and proved too heavy for the available power needing a 6:1 rear axle ratio. It was available with a preselector gearbox as an option and most had coachwork by Carbodies. The supercharged 12/90 of 1933 increased the available power from 45 to 90 bhp (67 kW) but few were made and a proposed twin-cam 12/100 never got beyond a prototype. [5]

Success

Violete Cordery, July 1927 Violet Cordery pilote de course britannique.jpg
Violete Cordery, July 1927

Sporting success for Invicta often came via Violette Cordery, who was Noel Macklin's sister-in-law. She won the half mile sprint at the West Kent Motor Club meeting at Brooklands in 1925 driving a 2.7 litre. In March 1926 Cordery was part of a team of six drivers that set multiple long distance records at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. They covered 10,000 miles at 56.47 mph, and 15,000 miles at 55.76 mph. [6] In July 1926 at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry track, Paris, they covered 5000 miles at 70.7 mph, taking over 70 hours of day and night driving, supervised by the Royal Automobile Club.

Cordery was twice awarded the Dewar Trophy, latterly in 1929 for driving 30,000 miles (48,000 km) in 30,000 minutes (20.8 days) at Brooklands, averaging 61.57 mph. [6] [7] [8] Between February and July 1927 Cordery drove an Invicta around the world, accompanied by a nurse, a mechanic, and an RAC observer. They covered 10,266 miles in five months at 24.6 mph, crossing Europe, Africa, India, Australia, the United States and Canada. [6]

In 1930 Donald Healey gained a class win in the Monte Carlo Rally, and won the event outright in 1931 with an S Type, having started from Stavanger. S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis had a spectacular accident in an S-type at Brooklands in 1931. [9] Raymond Mays held the Brooklands Mountain Circuit Class Record in 1931 and 1932, and the outright Shelsley Walsh Sports Car Record in the latter year.

End of production

Car production seems to have finished in 1935. Noel Macklin went on to found Railton, who used the Cobham buildings to make their cars after Invicta moved to Chelsea in 1933. An attempted revival using Delage and Darracq components failed to get off the ground. Following the collapse of an attempted sale the court made an order for the compulsory winding up of Invicta Cars Limited on 3 May 1938. [10]

1946 revival

Black Prince, 1946 1946 Invicta Black Prince 8904883525.jpg
Black Prince, 1946

The name was revived in 1946 by an organisation calling themselves Invicta Cars of Virginia Water Surrey [11] who began making the Black Prince. Meadows engines were again used, this time a twin overhead camshaft 3-litre six with three carburettors giving 120 bhp. The aluminium-bodied cars – steel supplies were effectively non-existent for new businesses in Britain's new centrally planned economy – were extremely complex and very expensive with a torque converter (Brockhouse Hydro-Kinetic Turbo Transmitter) entirely replacing the gearbox. The torque converter was controlled by a small switch with forward and reverse positions. Suspension was fully independent using torsion bars and there were built-in electric jacks. Other innovative luxury items included a trickle-charger to charge the battery from the domestic mains, an immersion heater in the engine, interior heating of the body and a built-in radio. [12] About 16 were made, 12 of which have survived. [13] The new company lasted until 1950, when it was bought by Frazer Nash makers, AFN Ltd. [5]

1989–date

Invicta Cars Ltd. Company No. 02342199 was registered again in 1989 by Christopher Browning, an Invicta enthusiast who was involved in the restoration and running of Invicta cars designed between 1925 and 1935. The purpose of the company was – and still is today – to record and preserve the heritage of the company name and provide a reference point for all the Invicta cars that are either being restored or are running on the road today.

2004–12

Invicta S1 Invicta S1 - Flickr - edvvc (1).jpg
Invicta S1
Invicta S1 silver Invicta S1 - Flickr - edvvc.jpg
Invicta S1 silver

In the early 2000s, the marque was resurrected yet again, producing the Invicta S1, at the Invicta Car Company factory in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England owned by Michael Bristow who acquired the brand in 1980.

The S1 was launched at the 2002 British International Motor Show. [14] The car, designed in cooperation with Chris Marsh & Leigh Adams, [15] was powered by 4.6 L; 280.8 cu in (4,601 cc), producing 320 bhp (239 kW; 324 PS) and with a claimed top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and acceleration to 60 mph in 5 seconds. [16]

A supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engines supplied by Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) in America which can be tuned by Invicta to deliver up to 600 bhp (608 PS; 447 kW) at 6000 rpm and 780 N⋅m (575 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 4500 rpm, [17] which has a claimed top speed of upwards of 200 mph (322 km/h). The range prices started at £106,000 and finished at £160,000, or about $156,000 to $236,000 US dollars (December 2008).

The car features AP Racing 6-pot (front) and 4-pot (rear) main braking system with cross drilled and race spec ventilated disc brakes, an independent hand brake system by Brembo, fully adjustable shock absorbers with race double wishbone suspension, a BTR Hydratrak race limited-slip differential, 50/50 weight distribution and a space frame tubular chassis and roll cage.

In April 2012 Westpoint Car Company, formerly the Invicta Car Company, was wound-up by the court as a result of a £40,000 unpaid debt following diminishing interest in expensive cars. Invicta Motors changed its name to Westpoint Car Company shortly before it was dissolved to save the Invicta brand being linked to yet another financial failure. The dispossessed owner, Michael Bristow, said it was the fourth financial collapse in the marque's history. [18]

Main models

Invicta S1 Invicta S1 - Flickr - exfordy.jpg
Invicta S1

Other Invicta brands

There were earlier but unconnected Invicta companies which made cars in Finchley, London from 1900 to 1905 and Leamington, Warwickshire, England, from 1913 to 1914. There was also an Invicta in Turin, Italy, in 1906.

Buick Invicta was a General Motors product made from 1959 to 1963.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC Cars</span> British specialist automobile manufacturer

AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was renamed or liquidated many times until its latest form. In 2022, the new corporate structure began the production of new AC Cobra models, with a slightly modified structure to adapt it to modern safety and technology requirements and obtain the European road homologation certificate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Europa</span> Two automobiles by Lotus

The Lotus Europa name is used on two distinct mid-engine GT cars built by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. The original Europa and its variants comprise the Lotus Types 46, 47, 54, 65 and 74, and were produced between 1966 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caterham 7</span> British super-lightweight sports car

The Caterham 7 is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold in kit and factory-built form by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab (automobile)</span> Motor vehicle

The Arab was a high-performance English automobile designed by Reid Railton and manufactured in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, between 1926 and 1928. The factory had previously been used by the Phoenix car company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brough Superior</span> Brand of English motorcycles and automobiles

Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. The motorcycles were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3048 motorcycles were made in the 21 years of production; around a third of that production still exists. T. E. Lawrence owned eight of these motorcycles and died from injuries sustained when he crashed number seven; the eighth was on order. Moving forward to 2008, vintage motorcycle enthusiast Mark Upham acquired the rights to the Brough Superior name. In 2013 he met motorcycle designer Thierry Henriette and asked him to design a new Brough Superior motorcycle. Three months later a prototype of a new SS100 was shown in Milan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W108/W109</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W108 and W109 are luxury cars produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1965 through to 1972. The line was an upgrade of the Mercedes-Benz W114/W115, to succeed the W111 and W112 fintail sedans. The cars were successful in West Germany and in export markets including North America and Southeast Asia. During the seven-year run, a total of 383,361 units were manufactured.

Henry Meadows, usually known simply as Meadows, of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines and transmissions to the smaller companies in the British motor industry. Founded in 1920 in Park Lane, Wolverhampton, as a car gearbox maker, they expanded into petrol engines in 1922 and in the 1930s built a large factory in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bentley Brooklands</span> Motor vehicle

Bentley Brooklands is the name of two distinct models produced by British automobile manufacturer Bentley Motors. The first Brooklands was a full-size luxury saloon, launched in 1992 to replace the Bentley Mulsanne and in turn succeeded by the Bentley Arnage in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Mark VI</span> British classic roadster

The Lotus Mark VI is the first production car by Lotus Cars. It was introduced by Colin Chapman in 1952 after previously building multiple trials and road racing cars. The heart of the Mark VI is a semi-space frame chassis. Rather than a complete car, it was available to the general public as kit, wherein the customer could install any preferred engine and gearbox, making it eligible for a wider number of formulae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC Greyhound</span> British automobile

The AC Greyhound (1959–1963) was a 2+2 version of the Ace and Aceca automobiles made by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, Surrey, England and announced for the opening of the Motor Show in October 1959. The Greyhound, of which 83 examples were built, had a two-door, four-seater aluminium body, and inherited most of the technical components of the Ace and Aceca but it had a wheelbase 10 inches or 250mm longer and coil springs in place of a transverse leaf spring at the front:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railton (car)</span> Marque of British automobiles

Railton was a marque of British automobiles made by Fairmile Engineering Company in Cobham, Surrey, between 1933 and 1940. The cars were the first combination of English coachwork with a U.S.-made engine and running gear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvis TE 21</span> Motor vehicle


The Alvis Three Litre Series III sports saloon or drophead coupé, also known as TE 21, is an automobile produced by English manufacturer Alvis between 1963 and 1966 with a body built by Mulliner Park Ward. It was an updated version of the 1958 TD21.

Sir (Albert) Noel Campbell Macklin was an innovative British car maker and boat designer. He founded Eric-Campbell in 1919, Silver Hawk in 1920, Invicta in 1925 and Railton in 1933. In 1939 he founded Fairmile Marine and supplied boats to the Royal Navy throughout World War II, for which effort he was honoured with a knighthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvis TF 21</span> Motor vehicle

The Alvis Three Litre series IV, TF21, an updated version of the 1963 TE21, was the last car produced by Alvis Cars. Having been announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966 it remained in production until 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall 30-98</span> Motor vehicle

The Vauxhall 30–98 is a car manufactured by Vauxhall at Luton, Bedfordshire from 1913 to 1927. In its day, its best-known configuration was the Vauxhall Velox standard 4-seater with open tourer body. Vauxhall's own description was the 30–98 hp Vauxhall-Velox sporting car. The 30–98 is also known to enthusiasts by Vauxhall's chassis code E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvis of Wimbledon</span>

Jarvis & Sons Limited were South London-based motor dealers for Morris and MG, and latterly coachworks providing special bodies for various car chassis until after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bignan (automobile)</span>

The Bignan was a French automobile manufactured between 1918 and 1931 on the north side of central Paris, in Courbevoie. The business was created, and till the mid-1920s, headed-up by Jacques Bignan.

Silver Hawk Motors of Cobham, Surrey, England, was a motor manufacturer from 1920 until 1921. It was founded by Sir (Albert) Noel Campbell Macklin after he parted company with his Eric-Campbell project, and before he founded both the Invicta and Railton car marques. The cars were built in a garage at Macklin's private home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violette Cordery</span> British racing driver

Violette Cordery was a British racing driver and long distance record breaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix Sunbeams 1921, 1922 TT</span>

The 1921 S.T.D. 'Works' Grand Prix chassis was built to the three-litre and minimum weight of 800 kilogrammes formula for that year's Indianapolis 500 and French Grand Prix de l’A.C.F. These team cars were modified by the Sunbeam Experimental department in Wolverhampton for the 1922 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, which was won by one of the cars. A few months later, and with 1916 4.9-litre engines, two of the T.T. cars competed in the Coppa Florio, Sicily and gained second and fourth position.

References

Citations

  1. "No. 33326". The London Gazette . 4 November 1927. p. 7025.
  2. Baldwin, N. (1994). A-Z of Cars of the 1920s. Devon, UK: Bay View Books. ISBN   1-870979-53-2.
  3. 1 2 3 "Invicta". The Automobile. 26 (December 2008): 30–33. ISSN   0955-1328.
  4. Cheetham, Craig (2004). Vintage Cars - The Finest Prewar Automobiles. Rochester, United Kingdom: Grange Books. p. 117. ISBN   1840136359.
  5. 1 2 Sedgwick, M. (1989). A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Bay View Books. ISBN   1-870979-38-9.
  6. 1 2 3 Williams, Jean; Williams, Simon. "Cordery, Violette". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/101214.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. See: Motor Sport, November 1926, Page 168.
  8. See: Motor Sport, January 1952, Page 21.
  9. See: Motor Sport, May 1931, Page 334.
  10. News in Brief. The Times, Wednesday, 4 May 1938; pg. 4; Issue 47985
  11. Display Advertisement: Invicta. The Times, Friday, 11 Jul 1947; pg. 7; Issue 50810
  12. A British Gearless Car. The Times, Wednesday, 13 Nov 1946; pg. 3; Issue 50607
  13. Chapman (2008), p. 53.
  14. English, Andrew (2002). "Carrying the Can". Auto Express (727): 70–72.
  15. "Silver dream machine".
  16. English, Andrew (13 August 2003). "The look of a winner". Auto Express (768): 22–23.
  17. "2007 Invicta S1 600". automobile-catalog.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  18. "Invicta goes bust".

Bibliography