Dawson Car Company
Encyclopedia
Dawson Car Company was created in June 1918 by AJ Dawson, previously works manager at Hillman
and designer of the 1913 Hillman Nine car and launched in 1919.
The only car made by the company was the 11-12 hp with a water-cooled, four-cylinder 1795 cc overhead camshaft
engine coupled to a three-speed gearbox. It was available in four body styles, most bodied by Charlesworth, and unusually, customers could not buy a chassis only. Most were sold in Dawson Blue with black wings. Final production seems to have been in 1921 after about 65 cars were made.
The Dawson cars were expensive, the cheapest being £600 for the two-seater, and could not compete with Morris
and Austin
. Nearly all the components were made in-house.
In 1921 the Triumph
Cycle Company Ltd. bought Dawson's premises and fittings in Clay Lane, Stoke, Coventry
but no more of the 11-12 models were made.
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...
and designer of the 1913 Hillman Nine car and launched in 1919.
The only car made by the company was the 11-12 hp with a water-cooled, four-cylinder 1795 cc overhead camshaft
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
engine coupled to a three-speed gearbox. It was available in four body styles, most bodied by Charlesworth, and unusually, customers could not buy a chassis only. Most were sold in Dawson Blue with black wings. Final production seems to have been in 1921 after about 65 cars were made.
The Dawson cars were expensive, the cheapest being £600 for the two-seater, and could not compete with Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
and Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
. Nearly all the components were made in-house.
In 1921 the Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
Cycle Company Ltd. bought Dawson's premises and fittings in Clay Lane, Stoke, 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...
but no more of the 11-12 models were made.