The Star Motor Company was a British car and commercial vehicle maker based in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...

 and active from 1898 to 1932.

Star was founded by the Lisle family who like many other vehicle makers started by making bicycles, in their case in 1893 as Sharratt and Lisle. In 1896 this was changed to the Star Cycle Company.

The first car was made in 1898 and a separate company, the Star Motor Company, was registered as a wholly owned subsidiary of Star Engineering Ltd. The early vehicles were heavily influenced by existing car makers and the 1898 3.5 was essentially a single-cylinder 3.5 hp Benz and often called the Star-Benz; it had two speeds, chain drive, wire spoke wheels, acetylene

Acetylene

Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...

 lighting, electric ignition, and Clipper pneumatic tires standard, for ₤

Pound sterling

The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

189. One a week was being made in 1899, and in the first year, they made their first export sale, to Auckland, New Zealand. In 1900, production had expanded to facilities in Dudley Road and Nelson, Stewart, Ablow, and Dobb Streets, with output of twenty a week. A two-cylinder three-speed model appeared that year, also, at the Richmond Automobile Club Show. Encouraged by founder Edward Lisle, they were also being entered in the 1000 Miles' Trial (where it proved fragile), along with "every test or competition for which they were eligible". In 1901, the 7 and 10 with vertical twin De Dion

De Dion

De Dion may refer to:* Jules-Albert de Dion , automobile pioneer* de Dion-Bouton, automobile manufacturer* de Dion tube, automobile suspension...

 engines and in 1902 a four-cylinder 20 hp appeared. In 1903, copying the leading maker, Mercedes

Mercedes (car)

Mercedes was a brand of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft . DMG which began to develop in 1900, after the death of its co-founder, Gottlieb Daimler...

, Star introduced a 12 hp four, and set a record of 39 mph (63 km/h) on a 2 mile (3.2 km) run in County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, under the auspices of the Irish Automobile Club. In addition, two Stars ran in the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

 qualifying races for the Gordon Bennett Cup

Gordon Bennett Cup

There were three Gordon Bennett Cups, all established by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.*Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing*Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning — for a time, a separate cup was also awarded for powered air racing...

; neither 10-litre car made it. From 1904 only four-cylinder models were made.

For 1906, there was a new 3261 cc (200 ci) 14 hp four, as well as a new six, the 6227 cc (380 ci) 30 hp; the six, increased in displacement

Engine displacement

Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...

 to 6981 cc (426 ci) in 1909, lasted until 1911. The main Star company continued to make well engineered models up to the outbreak of war in 1914 adding a range of vans and trucks to the output and became one of the six largest British car makers.

The Star Cycle Company run by Lisle's son, also called Edward, had continued in business building bicycles and motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

s and in 1905 entered the car industry in its own right and produced a 940 cc (57 ci) De Dion-powered two-seater called the Starling. In 1907, there was a 1296 cc (79 ci) single and a 1531 cc (94 ci) twin and the Stuart (Starling after 1907), with chassis from Hopper

Hopper

Hopper may refer to:-Mechanical parts:* A general term for a chute with additional width and depth for temporary storage* Hopper , a large container used for dust collection* Part of a combine harvester...

, a Barton-on-Humber cycle maker (which sold them as Torpedoes). To avoid confusion a new company, the Briton Motor Company was formed in 1909 and the products were badged as Britons. The first two cars were a 2282 cc (139 ci) 12 hp twin and a 2413 cc (147 ci) 14 hp four; the 14 hp became available as a Star in 1910.

Star proper took advantage of export sales, and saw racing success in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, a 14 hp winning the Transvaal

Transvaal Province

Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...

 Automobile Club hillclimb

Hillclimbing

Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....

, and the New Zealand national hillclimb championship.
For 1913, there was a 1743 cc (106 ci) Briton, which became the 10/12 in 1914. Stars accorded themselves well in the 1909 Irish Reliability Trial, while a 12 hp won its class in all the hillclimbs of the Scottish Automobile Club trial, where a new 2862 cc (175 ci) '15 hp' (actually 19.6 hp) debuted; it would persist three years.

In 1912, Star introduced the torpedo

Torpedo (disambiguation)

A torpedo, or locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile that operates underwater.Torpedo may also refer to:* Torpedo , the genus of electric rays** More generally, any electric ray Weapons:...

-bodied 15.9 hp, with a 3016 cc (184 ci; 80x150mm) four and new bullnosed radiator; originally for export, it proved aesthetically pleasing, and was adopted for all models. It was quick, as well, running an RAC trial of 801  mile (1289 km) at Brooklands

Brooklands

Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...

 at an average 66.75 mph (107.42 km/h) that year. The 15.9 would remain in production until 1922.

During World War 1 the company made a large number of lorries (trucks) for the army and did some work on aircraft engines.

Post-war car production resumed in 1919 with the pre-war 15.9 hp and 3815 cc 20.1 hp Star, and the 10/12 Briton, models and in the early 1920s Star were making 1000 cars a year from their cramped workshops. Briton, however, went under in 1922, a victim of the postwar economic slump, being bought by C.A. Weight; the last four Britons were exported to Australia in 1929.

A more up-to-date model, with a 1795 cc (110ci) sidevalve was introduced in 1921, with the same high quality.

The next year, Edward Lisle, Sr., died, succeeded by Joseph (formerly head of Star Engineering). Despite this, Stars entered two 11.9hps in the Scottish Six Days' Light Car Trials, placing first and second in the hands of R. Lisle and G.G.Cathie; the winner was sold to New Zealand, where it proved dominant in local racing, while a different 11.9 swept the Australian 1000 Mile Alpine Test.

This car developed into the 1945 cc (119ci) 12/25 in 1924, followed by a pushrod overhead valve

Overhead valve

An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...

 12/40 with four-wheel brakes (then a rarity) and four-speed gearbox, capable of 80 mph (129 km/h). It was joined by an 18/40 six, as well as lorries of 25cwt

Hundredweight

The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...

, 34-40cwt, and 50-60cwt, all powered by the 12/25 engine.

Oblivious to the lessons of standardization, Star in 1926 offered a 2120 cc (129ci) 14/40 OHV four, a similar 3181 cc (194ci) 20/60 six, and three sidevalve designs, all in several body styles.

In 1928, Edward Lisle sold the company to Guy Motors

Guy Motors

Guy Motors was a British company based in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton that made cars, lorries, buses, and trolleybuses.-History:Guy Motors Ltd was founded in 1914 by Sydney Guy who had been the Works Manager of nearby Sunbeam. A factory was built on the site at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton...

, also based in Wolverhampton, who wanted to add a range of cars to their heavy vehicle production. Production was moved to a new plant in Bushbury on the Wolverhampton northern outskirts near the Clyno

Clyno

Developing from a motorcycle manufacturer, the Clyno Engineering Company Ltd, founded by Frank Smith, became the surprise success of British car manufacturing in the 1920s becoming the country's third largest car manufacturer in 1926...

 factory. From here came the new 18/50, a 2470 cc (ci) six, with wet cylinder liners, duralumin

Duralumin

Duralumin is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The main alloying constituents are copper, manganese, and magnesium. A commonly used modern equivalent of this alloy type is AA2024, which contains 4.4% copper, 1.5% magnesium, 0.6% manganese and 93.5%...

 connecting rod

Connecting rod

In a reciprocating piston engine, the connecting rod or conrod connects the piston to the crank or crankshaft. Together with the crank, they form a simple mechanism that converts linear motion into rotating motion....

s, aluminium piston

Piston

A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...

s, seven bearing

Bearing (mechanical)

A bearing is a device to allow constrained relative motion between two or more parts, typically rotation or linear movement. Bearings may be classified broadly according to the motions they allow and according to their principle of operation as well as by the directions of applied loads they can...

 crankshaft

Crankshaft

The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...

, which in 1930 were redone as the Comet and Planet. They proved uneconomical and unprofitable, and production was stopped in March 1932, remaining cars and spares sold off to McKenzie and Denley (Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

), which continued to have Star cars and NOS

New old stock

New old stock refers to obsolete equipment, or original parts for obsolete equipment, that have never been sold at retail.The term refers to merchandise being offered for sale which was manufactured long ago but that has never been used...

parts catalogued in 1962.

Star cars (main models)

Type	Year	Approx Production	Engine	Notes
3.5	1898-1902		1296 cc single-cylinder
7hp	1900-1904		1104 cc twin-cylinder	De Dion engine.
10hp	1902-1903		2588 cc twin-cylinder	12 bhp at 800 rpm.
20hp	1902-1903		5176 cc four-cylinder	24 bhp at 800 rpm.
12hp	1904		2830 cc four-cylinder	16 bhp at 1000 rpm.
18hp	1904-1908		4170 cc four-cylinder
24hp	1904		4815 cc four-cylinder
15hp	1909-1913		2830/3160/3459 cc four-cylinder	2830 cc in 1909. 121 inch (3.07 m) wheelbase.
30hp	1906		4740/6980 cc six-cylinder	120 inch (3.04 m)wheelbase.
40hp	1907-11		6980 cc six-cylinder	140 inch (3.55 m) wheelbase.
15.9	1913-1924	800	3012 cc four-cylinder	Four speed gearbox. In chassis only form cost between £750-825.
20.1	1912-1923	100	3815 cc four-cylinder	Same engine as 15.9 but with larger bore.
11.9	1921-1923	2000	1795 cc four-cylinder	Three speed gearbox. Saloon version cost £750.
Six	1923-1927	250	2916 or 3265 cc six-cylinder	18 and 20 hp versions. Four wheel brakes optional from 1924, standard from 1925. 70 mi/h top speed.
14/30 and 14/40	1924-1927	1000	2176 or 2120 cc four-cylinder	Four wheel brakes optional. Four speed gearbox.
12/25 and 12/40	1923-1928	2000	1945 cc four-cylinder	Four speed gearbox. 12/40 engine was the first Star to have overhead valves.
18/50	1926-1932	1000	2470/2920 cc six-cylinder	Named Jason for 1928 and Comet 18/50 from 1930 and Comet 18 in 1931.
20/60	1928-1932	175	3180/3620 cc six-cylinder	Named the Comet 20/60 and then the Planet 21.
Planet 21	1928-1932		3180/3620 cc six-cylinder	The Planet 24 had the larger engine. Hector saloon and Perseus coupé and tourers.
Comet 14	1932	Few made.	2100 cc six-cylinder	Saloon or coupé. Bendix brakes.