Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited was a London importer, retailer and wholesaler of French-made Darracq and Talbot automobiles, a coachbuilder making regular production runs of bodies for S T D group products and a property holding company on behalf of its parent S T D Motors Limited. In 1935 its assets were sold following the financial collapse of S T D Motors in 1934. The coachbuilding business was bought by the Rootes brothers and lost its separate identity.

Purpose

In 1916 the board of A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited (later S T D Motors) elected to rearrange ownership of its Suresnes, Paris plant and the Darracq distribution system in London. Darracq Motor Engineering was incorporatedNew Companies: Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited. Reg. Office: Townmead Works, Townmead Road, Fulham, London S.W.; manufacturers of automobiles, aeroplanes, motor cars, motor and other cycles, mechanical and general engineers, etc. Private Company
''Mechanical Power'', vol 11, 1916. page 11, 6 April 1916 to take over their assets located in Britain: 150 Bond Street showrooms, warehouses, service garages etc.,''The Motor Transport Year Book and Directory'' Electrical Press, London, 1918 including their

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Works, at that time making munitions, aircraft and components such as propellers and under the wartime control of the Royal Aircraft Factory. After incorporation Darracq Motor Engineering Company added to its British assets ownership of the Darracq land in France on which their Suresnes plant was situated. Darracq Motor Engineering then leased it to a new French company, Société Anonyme Darracq, incorporated to hold all the other French assets formerly held directly by A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited. A Darracq and Company (1905) (soon to be renamed S T D Motors) was then reduced to a non-trading company holding ownership of the various French and British businesses.

Activities

After the 1918 Armistice the Fulham Works once again made motor car bodies for Darracqs and continued to assemble French-sourced components. After 1920 offices and showrooms in The Vale, Acton at the intersection with Warple Way were shared with W & G Du Cros another group member. In the expanded combine Darracq Motor Engineering also made bodies for

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a lightbeam, beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of light scatter ...

of Wolverhampton and Talbot London. In spite of the manufacturer's name change Darracq Motor Engineering continued to import and sell SA Talbot cars sent from France for sale in Britain and brand them Darracq.Anthony Blight, ''Georges Roesch and the Invincible Talbot ''Grenville, London 1970

Rootes

The Rootes brothers folded the coachbuilding portion of this business into Clément-Talbot's In January 1935 and it lost its separate identity.S.T.D. Motors Report. ''The Times'', Thursday, 21 Feb 1935; pg. 19; Issue 46994 New cars remained available (and service and spares) from D.A.R.A. Co Limited at 1a Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale NW6. Rebadging of SA Talbot cars sent from Suresnes to Britain continued after the dissolution of Darracq Motor Engineering because Clément-Talbot's British business remained active. In 1938 Clément-Talbot's name was changed to

Sunbeam-Talbot Sunbeam-Talbot Limited was a British motor manufacturing business. It built upmarket sports-saloon versions under the parenthood of Rootes Group cars from 1938 to 1954. Its predecessor Clément-Talbot, Clément-Talbot Limited had made ''Talbot'' ...

. After twenty years its products dropped Talbot from their badges in 1954.

Cars manufactured in Suresnes, Paris (1919–1938)

;at first badged Talbot Darracq and later Darracq for sale in Britain :Information assembled from ''The Autocar Buyer's Guide'' and published in Appendix V, Ian Nickols and Kent Karslake, ''Motoring Entente'', Cassell, London 1956 Darracq at Woburn

Notes

References

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External links

Talbot-Darracq 1921 models (from) Darracq Motor Engineering

1938 Darracq and Lago brochure issued by D.A.R.A. Co

1939 Darracq and Lago brochure issued by D.A.R.A. Co
S T D Motors Darracq Vehicle manufacture in London Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1905 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1935 1905 establishments in England 1935 disestablishments in England Defunct companies based in London