Coventry Premier
Encyclopedia
The Coventry Premier was a British car and cyclecar
manufacturer based in Coventry
from 1912 to 1923.
The company can trace its origins back to 1876 when the Hillman and Herbert company was founded as bicycle makers. William Hillman went on to set up his own Hillman
car company in 1907. Hillman and Herbert changed its name to the Premier Cycle
company in 1892 and added motorcycles from 1908 and a cyclecar in 1912. This had a 998 cc air-cooled V-twin engine and chain drive to the rear axle. A proper light car designed by the works manager G.W.A. Brown, who had been with Talbot
, was added in 1914 with four-cylinder engine of 1592 cc and shaft drive.
The company changed its name from Premier to Coventry Premier Ltd in November 1914. Testing of the 4-cylinder car continued during the war, but when peacetime production restarted in 1919 it did not appear. Brown had moved to Arrol-Johnston
in 1917. Instead the company launched the 8 hp Super Runabout two-seat, three-wheeled cyclecar with 1056 cc, water-cooled, V twin engine, shaft drive to a rear-mounted gearbox and chain drive to the rear wheels.
In 1921 Coventry Premier was bought by Singer
and the three-wheeler was replaced by a four-wheeled version using the same engine but now having the gearbox combined with the rear axle, eliminating the chain drive. In 1923 the badge appeared on a basic version of the Singer Ten. The name was no longer used on cars from 1924, but bicycle making continued for a few more years.
About 500 three-wheel and 1200 four-wheeled cars were made.
Cyclecar
Cyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s.-General description:Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or more rarely four cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other...
manufacturer based in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
from 1912 to 1923.
The company can trace its origins back to 1876 when the Hillman and Herbert company was founded as bicycle makers. William Hillman went on to set up his own Hillman
Hillman
Hillman is a British automobile marque created by the Hillman Motor Car Company, founded in 1907. The company was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England. Before 1907 the company had built bicycles...
car company in 1907. Hillman and Herbert changed its name to the Premier Cycle
Premier Motorcycles
Premier Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer. Originally founded as a bicycle manufacturer by W. H. Herbert and William Hillman in 1876, the "Hillman and Herbert Cycle Company" was renamed the "Premier Cycle Co." in 1891 and their first motorcycle was produced in 1908, with a White &...
company in 1892 and added motorcycles from 1908 and a cyclecar in 1912. This had a 998 cc air-cooled V-twin engine and chain drive to the rear axle. A proper light car designed by the works manager G.W.A. Brown, who had been with Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
, was added in 1914 with four-cylinder engine of 1592 cc and shaft drive.
The company changed its name from Premier to Coventry Premier Ltd in November 1914. Testing of the 4-cylinder car continued during the war, but when peacetime production restarted in 1919 it did not appear. Brown had moved to Arrol-Johnston
Arrol-Johnston
Arrol-Johnston was an early Scottish manufacturer of automobiles, which operated from 1896 to 1931 and produced the first automobile manufactured in Britain...
in 1917. Instead the company launched the 8 hp Super Runabout two-seat, three-wheeled cyclecar with 1056 cc, water-cooled, V twin engine, shaft drive to a rear-mounted gearbox and chain drive to the rear wheels.
In 1921 Coventry Premier was bought by Singer
Singer (car)
Singer was an automobile company founded in 1905 in Coventry, England. It was acquired by the Rootes Group of the United Kingdom in 1956, who continued the brand until 1970...
and the three-wheeler was replaced by a four-wheeled version using the same engine but now having the gearbox combined with the rear axle, eliminating the chain drive. In 1923 the badge appeared on a basic version of the Singer Ten. The name was no longer used on cars from 1924, but bicycle making continued for a few more years.
About 500 three-wheel and 1200 four-wheeled cars were made.