Atalanta (1937 automobile)
Encyclopedia
The Atalanta was an English
automobile
manufactured from 1937 until 1939 by Atalanta Motors Ltd in Staines
, Middlesex.
Two models were made.
The 1937 car used Albert Gough's somewhat erratic 4 cylinder overhead cam 1496 cc 78 bhp and 1996 cc 98 bhp engines with three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder which had been previously fitted to some Frazer Nash
es where Gough had worked. An Arnott supercharged version was also available. Three or four speed gearboxes were offered. The car had a tubular steel chassis and all round independent suspension using coil springs. Two seat open sports and two seat drophead coupé bodies built by Abbott were available.
From 1938 the car could be had with a 4·3 litre V-12
Lincoln Zephyr engine giving 112 bhp which proved to be the more popular. The car had a 3 speed gearbox. A four seat version on a slightly longer chassis was made as well as the two seaters.
The cars were very expensive and the outbreak of war stopped production after only about 20 cars were made. The company continued in existence making pumps and becoming Atalanta Engineering Ltd.
, Ford
and Jaguar engines were used, at least 1 car was equiped with an Aston Martin DB2/4
2.6ltr or 3ltr triple carb engine.
Addition 14/10/2011. In the late 1930s there was also an open sports version of the Atalanta, with a huge 7L American side valve engine and an 8- position, gated gear change.Also a smaller engined open sports version using an OHV engine with a blower.
company based in Greenwich
, London which built a few 9hp four cylinder cars from 1916 to 1917.
Atalanta was a name also used on a car made by the rather mysterious Owen of London, England in about 1910. This company existed between 1899 and 1935 but seems to have made very few if any cars.
Atalanta
was also a sports-tourer version of the 20/25 HP Armstrong Siddeley
line, sold between 1936 and 1938 .
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...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured from 1937 until 1939 by Atalanta Motors Ltd in Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, Middlesex.
Two models were made.
The 1937 car used Albert Gough's somewhat erratic 4 cylinder overhead cam 1496 cc 78 bhp and 1996 cc 98 bhp engines with three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder which had been previously fitted to some Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash was a British sports car manufacturer and engineering company founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922. It produced sports cars incorporating a unique multi-chain transmission before World War II and also imported BMW cars to the UK. After the war it continued producing sports cars with...
es where Gough had worked. An Arnott supercharged version was also available. Three or four speed gearboxes were offered. The car had a tubular steel chassis and all round independent suspension using coil springs. Two seat open sports and two seat drophead coupé bodies built by Abbott were available.
From 1938 the car could be had with a 4·3 litre V-12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
Lincoln Zephyr engine giving 112 bhp which proved to be the more popular. The car had a 3 speed gearbox. A four seat version on a slightly longer chassis was made as well as the two seaters.
The cars were very expensive and the outbreak of war stopped production after only about 20 cars were made. The company continued in existence making pumps and becoming Atalanta Engineering Ltd.
RGS Atalanta
Richard Gaylard Shattock revived the name after the Second World War with the RGS Atalanta, offering complete cars with fiberglass bodywork or parts kits until 1958. Lea-FrancisLea-Francis
Lea-Francis was a motor manufacturing company that began life building bicycles.- History :Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis started the business in Coventry in 1895. They branched out into car manufacture in 1903 and motor cycles in 1911. Lea-Francis built cars, under licence, for the...
, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and Jaguar engines were used, at least 1 car was equiped with an Aston Martin DB2/4
Aston Martin DB2/4
The DB2/4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. It was based on the DB2 it replaced, available as a Drophead coupe and 2+2 hatchback well ahead of the times. Other changes included a wraparound windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights...
2.6ltr or 3ltr triple carb engine.
Addition 14/10/2011. In the late 1930s there was also an open sports version of the Atalanta, with a huge 7L American side valve engine and an 8- position, gated gear change.Also a smaller engined open sports version using an OHV engine with a blower.
Other cars with the Atalanta name
There was another unconnected AtalantaAtalanta (1915 automobile)
The Atalanta was an English automobile manufactured in Greenwich, southeast London from 1915 to 1917. One of a number of light car companies to start business during the First World War, the Atalanta was one of the latest startups...
company based in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, London which built a few 9hp four cylinder cars from 1916 to 1917.
Atalanta was a name also used on a car made by the rather mysterious Owen of London, England in about 1910. This company existed between 1899 and 1935 but seems to have made very few if any cars.
Atalanta
Atalanta
Atalanta is a character in Greek mythology.-Legend:Atalanta was the daughter of Iasus , a Boeotian or an Arcadian princess . She is often described as a goddess. Apollodorus is the only one who gives an account of Atalanta’s birth and upbringing...
was also a sports-tourer version of the 20/25 HP Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
line, sold between 1936 and 1938 .