Arrol-Aster was a British car maker founded in 1927 when
Arrol-Johnston
Arrol-Johnston (later known as Arrol-Aster) was an early Scottish manufacturer of automobiles, which operated from 1895 to 1931 and produced the first automobile manufactured in Britain. The company also developed the world's first "off-road" ve ...
and the English
Aster
Aster or ASTER may refer to:
Biology
* ''Aster'' (genus), a genus of flowering plants
** List of ''Aster'' synonyms, other genera formerly included in ''Aster'' and still called asters in English
* Aster (cell biology), a cellular structure shap ...
company merged. The Wembley, London works of Aster was closed and production concentrated at the Heathhall,
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
factory of Arrol-Johnston.
At first, manufacture of all the cars previously made by the two companies was continued along with those made under the Galloway badge but in 1928 a rationalisation was carried out. The cars were complex and expensive and sales were poor resulting in the company going into receivership in 1929 and finally closing in 1931.
The company was responsible for making the body for
Sir Malcolm Campbell
Major Sir Malcolm Campbell (11 March 1885 – 31 December 1948) was a British racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times, using vehicles called ''Blue Bird'', including a 1 ...
's
Blue Bird
The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous passerine birds in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas.
Bluebirds lay an ...
car in 1929 and an Arrol-Aster car was entered in the
1931 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 9th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 13 and 14 June 1931.
With the demise of Bentley, the favourite for an outright victory was split between the Bugatti and Alfa Romeo i ...
.
Model range
*1927-1930 Aster 21/60 3042 cc Straight-6 Overhead valve
*1927-1930 Aster 24/70 3460 cc Straight-6 Sleeve valve
*1927-1929 Arrol-Johnston 15/40 2413 cc Straight-4 Overhead valve
*1927-1930 Arrol-Aster 17/50 2370 cc Straight-6
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve valve engines saw use in a number of pre–World War II luxury cars and in the United States in the Willys-Knight car and light tru ...
*1929-1930 Arrol-Aster 23/70 3293 cc straight-8 Sleeve valve
Arrol-Aster 17/50
The 17/50 used a straight six, single sleeve valve engine of 2370 cc driving the rear wheels through a four speed gearbox. Suspension was by semi elliptic leaf springs at the front and cantilever springs at the rear.
A Cozette
supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement (engine), displacement. It is a form of forced induction that is mechanically ...
was an optional extra costing GBP50 giving the car a top speed of and an economy of
The car had a distinctive two-part, V-shaped windscreen and was available with saloon, open touring or coupé bodies.
In 1929, a car was entered into, and completed, the
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. From its inception in 1911 by Albert I, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert I, the rally ...
driven by the Hon Mmrs Victor Bruce,
[ and two supercharged cars were entered for the 1929 ]RAC Tourist Trophy
The RAC Tourist Trophy (sometimes called the International Tourist Trophy) is a motor racing award presented by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) to the overall victor of a motor race in the United Kingdom. Established in 1905, it is the world's o ...
(TT) in Ulster driven by E.R. Hall and N. Garrard. Both cars crashed.
Arrol-Aster 23/70
The 23/70 shared the same basic layout as the 17/50 but was fitted with a straight-8 sleeve valve engine. The exact capacity of the engine is quoted by various sources as between 2760 and 3293 cc. The engine was said to be vulnerable if taken above 3400 rpm.
See also
* Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster
L'Aster, Aster, Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster, was a French manufacturer of automobiles and the leading supplier of engines to other manufacturers from the late 1890s until circa 1910/12. Although primarily known as an engine mass ...
(Original French 'Aster')
* List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
:''This list is incomplete. You can help by adding correctly sourced information about other manufacturers.'' Major current marques
Current manufacturers
;A
*AC Cars, AC (1908–present)
*Action Automotive (2004–present)
*Aeon Spo ...
References
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External links
1927 21/60 4-Door Fabric Saloon advertisement
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Scotland
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1927
Companies based in Dumfries and Galloway