Singer Motors

thumb|Preferred Share of the Singer and Company Ltd, issued 19. October 1903

Singer Motors Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturing business, originally a bicycle manufacturer founded as Singer & Co by George Singer, in 1874 in Coventry, England. Singer & Co's bicycle manufacture continued. From 1901 George Singer's Singer Motor Co made cars and commercial vehicles.

Singer Motor Co was the first motor manufacturer to make a small economy car that was a replica of a large car, showing a small car was a practical proposition. It was much more sturdily built than otherwise similar cyclecars. With its four-cylinder ten horsepower engine the Singer Ten was launched at the 1912 Cycle and Motor Cycle Show at Olympia. William Rootes, a Singer apprentice at the time of its development and consummate car-salesman, contracted to buy 50, the entire first year's supply.

At the time, he was foreman of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company, from which he resigned. He was joined in the business by J. E. Stringer, his brother-in-law. It appears Singer was inspired to produce a bicycle safer than the Ordinary (penny-farthing) type standard at the time, by cyclist George Dominy. It also offered removable handlebars and removable rear wheel. While safer, its performance suffered. These were fitted to bicycles. The design was used by Singer & Co in the rear wheel and then the front wheel of a trike.

In 1904, he developed a range of more conventional motorcycles which included 346 cc two strokes and, from 1911, side-valve models of 299 cc and 535 cc. In 1913 Singer & Co offered an open-frame ladies model.

Singer & Co stopped building motorcycles at the outbreak of the First World War.

Motorcycle racing

In 1909, Singer & Co built a series of racers and roadsters and entered several bikes in races, including the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1914.

At the 1902 Cordingly Show, at the Islington Agricultural Hall, Singer showed two commercial variants of the Tri-Voiturette, the Motor Carrier, one for tradesmen, one for dairymen.

The first Singer-designed car was the 4-cylinder 2.4-litre 12/14 of 1906. The engine was bought in from Aster.

Singer made their first four-wheel car in 1905. It was designed by Scottish engineer Alexander Craig and was a variant of a design he had done for Lea-Francis having a 2-cylinder engine.

The Craig engine was replaced in 1906 by White & Poppe engines in Singer's two light car models. These were a twin and a 12/14 four-cylinder. These were joined by a White & Poppe-engined Doctor's Brougham and two Auster-powered tourers, a 12/14 and a 20/22. its main drawback was a three-speed transmission built into the rear axle. The Ten was the company's first big seller. The same year, two years after George Singer's death, the "bicycle wheel" radiator emblem was deleted.

Production was suspended for the First World War, then resumed afterward. In 1924, the 15 was offered with a Weymann fabric body. Priced from £148 10s as a four-seat tourer, it had only rear-wheel brakes to start. Meanwhile, the 10/26 became the -engined Senior, joined by the new Six, powered by a inline six based on the 10/26's and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes from Clayton Dewandre. Singer, restricted by a built-in site, acquired other companies for factory space. In 1926, they made 9,000 cars. In 1929, with seven factories and 8,000 employees, they produced 28,000 cars, though having just 15% they trailed far behind Austin and Morris which shared 60% of the market. Hampered by their new acquisitions, the cost of new machinery and a moving assembly line in their latest acquisition, Singer's offerings were eclipsed by new models from Austin, Morris, and Hillman; from 1932, these were joined by the new Ford Model Y.

The redesign left Singer with a few hundred older chassis, which the company bodied and sold as Deliverys, at £180.

The Junior of 1931, with styling resembling the top-priced saloon and a "waterfall" grille, which lent the car its common name. The range continued in a very complex manner using developments of the ohc Junior engine, with an , the Ten, the sidevalve 12/6, the sidevalve 18/6 (now ), and the OHV [[Singer Silent-Six|Silent-Six]] (now ).). and was also offered with "aerodynamic" Airstream coachwork; Continuing decline in sales led to financial trouble, and Singer attempted to cut costs, such as by switching back to mechanical brakes on the Nine in 1939.

Singer 10 (1919) (15476334908).jpg|1919 Ten

File:1931 Singer Junior Saloon 8 HP, Owner Kjartan Meyer who wears period attire and picks up lady companion dressed in style as well IMG 9333.JPG|1927 Junior 8

File:1927 Singer Senior 1026 Tourer.jpg|1927 Senior 10/26 tourer

File:Singer Saloon probably 1798cc mfd 1929.jpg|1930 Senior

File:Singer ca 2 litre ca 1933.jpg|1933 Silent Six Continental sports saloon

File:1933 Singer Nine.jpg|1933 Nine Sports with helmet wings

File:Singer 11HP 1934 1394cc Battlesbridge 2010.JPG|1934 Eleven saloon

Image:Singer 1,5-Litre Le Mans 2-Seater Sports 1934.jpg|1934 Le Mans 1½-litre 2-seater Sports

</gallery>

Singer Motors Limited

File:1936_Singer_Bantam_Saloon_4331079814.jpg|1936 Bantam Nine 4-door

File:Singer_Bantam_Roadster_6827707088.jpg|1936 Bantam Nine tourer

Singer Bantam 9 (1939) (15476914220).jpg|1939 Bantam Nine saloon

File:Singer Bantam Van (7202009778).jpg|1939 Bantam Nine van

File:Singer Nine Open Sports 1939.jpg|1939 Bantam Nine Roadster

</gallery>

From 1938 to 1955, Singer Motors Ltd supplied new OHC engines (a few 9HP, a 10HP and numerous 12 HPs plus 4-speed gearboxes) for fitment to HRG Engineering Company's sports cars at Tolworth, Surrey - these replaced the 1.5 litre Meadows engines fitted to earlier cars.

After the Second World War, the new Roadster and the Ten and Twelve saloons all returned to production with little change. In 1948, Singer's first streamlined car appeared, the SM1500 (designed by Technical Director Shorter

The SM1500 was given a traditional radiator grille and renamed the Hunter in 1954; the high-priced Hunter was equally in vain.

Image:'48 Singer 9 Roadster (Hudson).JPG|1948 North American-market Nine Roadster

File:Singer 4 door saloon 1432951501.jpg|1946 Super Ten

File:1949 Singer Super 12 Saloon 8431055655.jpg|1949 Super Twelve

File:Singer SM1500 Saloon.JPG|1948–54 SM1500

File:Singer Hunter front.jpg|1954–56 Hunter

</gallery>

Rootes Group

By 1955, the business was in financial difficulties and the Rootes Brothers bought it the following year. They had first handled Singer sales just before the First World War. The Singer brand was absorbed into their Rootes Group which had been an enthusiastic exponent of badge engineering since the early 1930s. The next Singer car, the Gazelle, was a more up-market Hillman Minx.

By 1970, Rootes were themselves struggling financially. They had been acquired by the American Chrysler corporation, and founder (by then Sir) William Rootes had died in 1964. In April 1970, as part of a rationalisation process, the last Singer rolled off the assembly line, almost 100 years after George Singer built the first cycle. The last car to carry the Singer name was an upmarket version of the rear engined Hillman Imp called the Chamois. With the take over of Rootes by Chrysler begun in 1964 and completed in 1967, many of the brands were set to vanish and use of the Singer name ended in 1970. The site of the Singer factory in Coventry is now occupied by Singer Hall, a hall of residence for Coventry University.

Singer Gazelle V of 1964 (front).jpg|Gazelle Mark V

Image:1960.singer.gazelle.arp.jpg|1960 Gazelle Convertible

File:Singer Vogue 1.jpg|1962 Vogue

File:Singer Chamois ca 1969.jpg|1965–70 Chamois

File:Singer Vogue 1968.jpg|1968 Vogue

</gallery>

Models

The main models produced were:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; width:90%"

|-----

! name

! cylinders

! cubic

capacity

!bore and

stroke

! tax

horsepower

! power output

! years in

production

| Eight/Ten

| 2 sv

| 95 x 100

| 11.19

| -

| 1905

| Seven/Nine

| 2 sv

| 80 x90

| 7.94

| -

| 1906–10

| Twelve/Fourteen

| 2 sv

| 100 x 150

| 12.4

| -

| 1906

| Twelve/Fourteen

| 4 sv

| 80 x 90

| 15.87

| -

| 1906–10

| Ten

| 3 sv

| 80 x 90

| 11.9

| -

| 1907

| Twelve/Fifteen

| 4 sv

| 84 x 110

| 17.5

| -

| 1907

| Twenty/Twenty-two

| 4 sv

| 95 x 130

| 22.38

| -

| 1907

| Twenty/Twenty-five

| 4 sv

| 100 x 110

| 24.8

| -

| 1908–10

| Sixteen

| 4 sv

| 85 x 110

| 17.92

| -

| 1909

| Sixteen/Twenty

| 4 sv

| 90 x 110

| 20.09

| -

| 1910

| Twenty/Twenty-five

| 4 sv

| 100 x 150

| 24.8

| -

| 1910

| Fifteen

| 4 sv

| 80 x 130

| 15.87

| -

| 1911–14

| Twenty

| 4 sv

| 90 x 130

| 20.09

| -

| 1911–15

| Fourteen

| 4 sv

| 78 x 125

| 15.09

| -

| 1912–14

| Ten

| 4 sv

| 63 x 88

| 9.84

| -

| 1912–16

| Twenty-five

| 4 sv

| 100 x 130

| 24.8

| -

| 1913–14

| Senior

| 4 sv

| 80 x 130

| 15.87

| @ 2,150 rpm

| 1915

::World War I

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; width:90%"

|-----

! name

! cylinders

! cubic

capacity

!bore and

stroke

! tax

horsepower

! power output

! years in

production

| Ten

| 4 sv

| 63 x 88

| 9.84

| -

| 1919–23

| Fifteen

| 6 sv

| 65 x 100

| 15.72

| -

| 1921—1925

| Ten/Twenty-six

| 4 ohv

| 63 x 105

| 9.84

| -

| 1925–27

| Eight

| 4

| 56 x 86

| 7.78

| -

| 1926

| Junior

| 4 sohc

| -

| 1926–35

| Fourteen/Thirty-four

| 6 ohv

| 63 x 95

| 14.76

| -

| 1926

| Fourteen/Thirty-four

| 6 ohv

| 65 x 90

| 15.72

| -

| 1926

| Six

| 6

| -

| 1927

| Eight Junior

| 4 ohc

| 56 x 86

| 7.78

| @ 3,250 rpm

| 1927–32

| Ten

| 4

| 65 x 95

| 10.48

| -

| 1927–32

| Senior

| 4

| 69 x 105

| 11.81

| 1927–30

| Singer 16

| 6 ohv

| 65.5 x 95

| 15.96

| -

| 1929

| Senior Six(Light Six)

| 6 sv

| 65 x 90

| 15.72

| -

| 1930—31

| Super Six

| 6 ohv

| 65.5 x 95

| 15.96

| -

| 1930–31

| 2-litre

| 6 sohc

| 69.5 x 90

| 17.97

| @ 3,600 rpm

| 1933

| Nine

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 86

| 8.93

| @ 4,800 rpm

| 1933–37

| Nine Le Mans

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 86

| 8.93

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1935–36

| Nine Special Speed

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 86

| 8.93

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1935

| Twelve

| 4 sohc

| 69.5 x 95

| 11.98

| @ 3,600 rpm

| 1933–35

| 1½ litre Le Mans

| 6 sohc

| 59 x 91

| 12.95

| @ 4,600 rpm

| 1933–37

| Fourteen Six

| 6 sohc

| 60 x 95

| 13.39

| -

| 1933

| Silent Six

| 6 sohc

| 69.5 x 95

| 17.97

| -

| 1934

| Continental

| 6 sohc

| 69.5 x 95

| 17.97

| -

| 1934

| Kaye Don Special

| 6 sohc

| 69.5 x 95

| 17.97

| -

| 1934

| Eleven fluidrive

| 4 sohc

| 66.5 x 105

| 11

| @ 4,000 rpm

| 1934–37

| Eleven Airstream

| 4 sohc

| 69.5 x 105

| 11.98

| @ 4,000 rpm

| 1934–36

| Sixteen Six ifs fluidrive

| 6 sohc

| 65 x 100

| 15.72

| -

| Aug 1934 onward

| Silent Six

| 6 sohc

| -

| 1934 onward

| Bantam Nine

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 86

| 8.93

| @ 4,200 rpm

| 1936–38

——————————————————————————————————————————————

:December 1936: Singer & Co Limited dissolved;<br />business transferred to Singer Motors Limited

——————————————————————————————————————————————

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; width:90%"

|-----

! name

! cylinders

! cubic

capacity

!bore and

stroke

! tax

horsepower

! power output

! years in

production

| Twelve

| 4 sohc

| 68 x 105

| 11.47

| 1937–39

| Bantam Nine

| 4 sohc

| 60 X 95

| 8.93

| @ 4,200 rpm

| 1938–40

| Nine

| 4 sohc

| 60 X 95

| 8.93

| @ 4,200 rpm

| 1938–1947

| Ten

| 4 sohc

| 63.25 x 95

| 9.92

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1938–48

| Super Ten

| 4 sohc

| 63.25 x 95

| 9.92

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1938–48

| 9 Roadster

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 95

| 8.93

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1939–40

1946–49

::World War II

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; width:90%"

|-----

! name

! cylinders

! cubic

capacity

!bore and

stroke

! tax

horsepower

! power output

! years in

production

| Super Twelve

| 4 sohc

| 68 x 105

| 11.47

| @ 4,000 rpm

| 1947–1949

| 9 Roadster series 4A

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 95

| -

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 9/1949–10/50

| 9 Roadster series 4AB

| 4 sohc

| 60 x 95

| -

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 10/1950–1/53

| 9 Roadster series 4AC

| 4 sohc

| @ 4,200 rpm

| 1950–1953

| SM Roadster series 4AD

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| @ 4,600 rpm

| 1951–1955

| SM1500 saloon

| 4 sohc

| 68 x 105

| 11.47

| @ 4,000 rpm

| 1948–51

| SM1500 saloon

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| @ 4,600 rpm

| 1951–54

| ½ ton Utility circa 1952

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| circa 1952

| Hunter

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| @ 4,600 rpm

| 1954–56

| Hunter 75

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| @ 5,250 rpm

| 1955–56

| SMX prototype

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| -

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1956

——————————————————————————————————————————————

:December 1955: Singer Motors joins Rootes Group

——————————————————————————————————————————————

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; width:90%"

|-----

! name

! cylinders

! cubic

capacity

!bore and

stroke

! tax

horsepower

! power output

! years in

production

| Gazelle I

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1956–57

| Gazelle II

| 4 sohc

| 73 x 89.4

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1957–58

| Gazelle IIA

| 4 ohv

| Rootes engine

| 79 x 76.2

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1958

| Gazelle III

| 4 ohv

| 79 x 76.2

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1958–59

| Gazelle IIIA

| 4 ohv

| 79 x 76.2

| @ 4,600 rpm

| 1959–60

| Gazelle IIIB

| 4 ohv

| 79 x 76.2

| @ 4,500 rpm

| 1960–61

| Gazelle IIIC

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,100 rpm

| 1961–63

| Gazelle V

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,100 rpm

| 1963–65

| Gazelle VI

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,200 rpm

| 1965–67

| New Gazelle

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,800 rpm

@ 5,000 rpm

| 1967–70

| Vogue I

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,800 rpm

| 1961–62

| Vogue II

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 4,800 rpm

| 1963–64

| Vogue III

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 76.2

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1964–65

| Vogue IV

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 82.55

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1965–66

| New Vogue

| 4 ohv

| 81.5 x 82.55

| @ 5,000 rpm

| 1966–70

| Chamois

| 4 ohv

| 68 x 60.375

| @ 5,000

| 1965–70

Notes

Sources

thumbnail|Cover of Singer & Co. (1909) Ltd., directors' report, 31 July 1910.

Kevin Atkinson The Singer Story, Cars, Commercial Vehicles, Bicycles, Motorcycles; Veloce Publishing
Wise, David Burgess. "Singer: A Car for Every Purse and Purpose" in Ward, Ian, Executive Editor. The World of Automobiles, Volume 18, pp. 2064-71. London: Orbis, 1974.

Motorcycle racing

Singer Motors Limited

Rootes Group

Models

See also

Notes

Sources

External links