ABC Motors
Encyclopedia
ABC Motors Limited of Hersham
, Surrey
, England
was a manufacturer of cars, aircraft, motor scooters, and engines for road and air. Established by Ronald Charteris in Hersham, Surrey in 1912, its chief designer was the young and talented Granville Bradshaw
. It was absorbed into Vickers
in 1951 and the factory finally closed in the 1970s although some of the premises survive today as part of the Hersham Trading Estate and are occupied by the Ian Allan publishing company.
of the World War I period were extremely advanced for their time, and were initially thought to be very promising indeed. Unfortunately they were all more or less plagued by problems – and although a number of types for the Royal Air Force
were designed around ABC engines (especially the ill-fated Dragonfly) none of these types were to see squadron service with the RAF.
ABC also made a large number of engines for electrical generators and other purposes – mostly with a flat twin cylinder layout and unusual exhaust-over-inlet valve configuration. These smaller ABC engine have the distinction of being possibly the first airborne APUs
- the Coastal class blimp
(first flown in 1916) had a 1.5-horsepower unit installed to provide electricity for the onboard wireless set, whilst a similar engine was used to power the searchlight of the Supermarine Nighthawk
'Zeppelin
killer' of 1917.
Hersham
Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25 boundary. It is within easy reach of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The main A3 London to Portsmouth road runs through its boundaries...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was a manufacturer of cars, aircraft, motor scooters, and engines for road and air. Established by Ronald Charteris in Hersham, Surrey in 1912, its chief designer was the young and talented Granville Bradshaw
Granville Bradshaw
Granville Eastwood Bradshaw OBE, AFRAeS was an English engineer and inventor who designed motorcycle and aero-engines.-History:Bradshaw was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1887 as the son of William and Annie Bradshaw. His father was a jeweler and optician.Bradshaw's early work was involved with...
. It was absorbed into Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
in 1951 and the factory finally closed in the 1970s although some of the premises survive today as part of the Hersham Trading Estate and are occupied by the Ian Allan publishing company.
Products
The ABC radial aero enginesRadial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
of the World War I period were extremely advanced for their time, and were initially thought to be very promising indeed. Unfortunately they were all more or less plagued by problems – and although a number of types for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
were designed around ABC engines (especially the ill-fated Dragonfly) none of these types were to see squadron service with the RAF.
ABC also made a large number of engines for electrical generators and other purposes – mostly with a flat twin cylinder layout and unusual exhaust-over-inlet valve configuration. These smaller ABC engine have the distinction of being possibly the first airborne APUs
Auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
- the Coastal class blimp
Coastal class blimp
The Coastal Class were a class of blimp used by the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. The C class blimp operated by the United States Navy after the war was a completely unrelated design. In total 35 Coastals were built, all at RNAS Kingsnorth, Kent...
(first flown in 1916) had a 1.5-horsepower unit installed to provide electricity for the onboard wireless set, whilst a similar engine was used to power the searchlight of the Supermarine Nighthawk
Supermarine Nighthawk
-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.* Bruce, J.M. Warplanes of the First World War, Volume Three: Fighters. London: Macdonald, 1969. ISBN 356-01490-8....
'Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
killer' of 1917.
Aero engines
- ABC 8 hpABC 8 hp|-See also:-Bibliography:* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection of historic aeroplanes, cars, cycles, carriages and fire engines. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire: The Collection, 1969. ISBN 978-0-901319-01-2...
(1923) - ABC 30 hp (1912)
- ABC 60 hp (1912)
- ABC 100 hp (1912)
- ABC DragonflyABC Dragonfly-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. "Sopwith Snipe...:...the RAF's First Fighter. . " Air Enthusiast International Volume 6 Number 6, June 1974. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll....
(1918) - ABC Gadfly (1920)
- ABC GnatABC Gnat|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:...
(1916) - ABC MosquitoABC Mosquito|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
(1916) - ABC HornetABC Hornet|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
(1929) - ABC ScorpionABC Scorpion|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling, 1969....
(1923) - ABC WaspABC Wasp-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
(1918)
Automotive
- ABC (1920 automobile)ABC (1920 automobile)The ABC was an English car manufactured between 1920 and 1929 by ABC Motors.It was a light car , powered by a 1203 cc flat-twin, air-cooled engine designed by Granville Bradshaw...
- ABC Supersports
- ABC Skootamota
- ABC motorcyclesABC motorcyclesABC motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer established in 1914 by Ronald Charteris in London. Several British motorcycle firms started up with the name "ABC", including Sopwith. The All British Engine Company Ltd...