The Eric-Campbell was a British car made from 1919 to 1924 by Eric-Campbell & Co Limited of Cricklewood, London. The company was formed by H Eric Orr-Ewing and Noel Campbell Macklin.

Manufacturing

Eric-Campbell was formed by H Eric Orr-Ewing and Noel Campbell Macklin. Macklin subsequently founded

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, Invicta and Railton car manufacturers. Manufacturing took place in the factory of the

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aircraft company in

Cricklewood Cricklewood is a town in North London, England, in the London Boroughs of Camden, Barnet, and Brent. The Crown pub, now the Clayton Crown Hotel, is a local landmark and lies north-west of Charing Cross. Cricklewood was a small rural hamlet ...

London. It is estimated that as many as 500 cars might have been made.

Demise

Macklin left the company in 1920 to concentrate on his

car and by 1921 Eric-Campbell were in financial difficulties. In 1922 production was taken over by Vulcan Iron & Metal Works Limited of Southall, Middlesex. Prices were reduced and a wider range of bodies offered. In its last year of 1924,

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engines could be ordered as well as the

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. The new owners failed to make a success of the company and the receivers were called in during January 1926.

Eric-Campbell 10

The Eric-Campbell 10 (10/22 in 1924) was assembled from bought-in components with a

1498 cc, four cylinder, side valve engine driving the rear wheels through a cone clutch and three speed Moss gearbox. The engine was tuned with a special camshaft and lightened pistons. Half elliptic leaf springs were fitted at the front whilst at the rear cantilever springing was used. A top speed of 55 mph was guaranteed and 60 mph claimed as possible. Two seat polished aluminium bodies were fitted with a simulacrum of a Rolls-Royce radiator.

Competition

Two cars were entered in the tenth

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race in Sicily, held on 23 November 1919 and comprising 4 laps of the 108 kilometre Madonie circuit. The drivers were

Cyril Snipe Cyril Snipe (1888-1944) was a British motor racing driver who won the 1912 Targa Florio in Sicily driving an Italian SCAT motor car. Early life Cyril Arthur Snipe was born at Conisborough, Yorkshire, in the first quarter of 1888 to Arthur W Sni ...

, who had won the 1912 event driving a SCAT 25/35, and Jack Scales (29 January 1886 – 23 October 1962) who subsequently raced for the Italian marque Chiribiri where he was known as ''l'Inglese Scalese'' (''The Englishman Scales''). Scales, driving car number 23 retired after 1 lap due to a broken steering arm, whilst Snipe did not complete a single lap in car number 24. In April and May 1920 Violette Cordery took part in two British Motor Cycle Racing Club handicaps driving an Eric-Campbell.

Eric-Campbell 8

An 8 hp car, the 8/20, with 1075 cc engine was announced in 1924 but it seems not to have reached production.

References

{{Reflist Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England Cars introduced in 1919 Motor vehicle manufacturers based in London