Imperial was the name used for three separate makes of British car.
Imperial (Manchester) 1901-1906
Imperial Autocar Manufacturing company was based in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, England. Two cars were introduced in 1901 with either a 3.5 hp 2 cylinder engine under the seat or 6 hp 2 cylinder engine front mounted.
Later the company sold French
Lacoste et Battman
Lacoste S.A. (; ) is a French designer sports fashion company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, and entrepreneur André Gillier. It sells clothing, footwear, sportswear, eyewear, leather goods, perfume, towels and watches. The c ...
models with Imperial bodies. The last ones seem to have been sold around 1906.
Imperial (Croydon) 1904-1905
Another Imperial was made by the Anti-Vibrator company of
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
, Surrey. These were electrically powered with a motor in each rear wheel. Unusually for the time, the car had integral construction of body and chassis.
Imperial (London) 1914
The Imperial
cyclecar
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive motorized car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the c ...
was made by Implitico, a theatre lighting company in London,
for one year only immediately before the First World War. The power came from an 8 hp V-twin
Precision
Precision, precise or precisely may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Precision'' (march), the official marching music of the Royal Military College of Canada
* "Precision" (song), by Big Sean
* ''Precisely'' (sketch), a dramatic sketch by the Eng ...
engine with a "gearbox" giving seven forward speeds and optional reverse using belts and pulleys.
The Model A cost £110 and had reverse, the Model B at £95 did without. About 12 cars were made.
See also
*
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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial (Car)
Cyclecars
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England