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Ralph Lucas (1876-1955) was an entrepreneur and inventor, involved in the design and manufacturing of early motor cars. He was born in Greenwich, the son of telegraph engineer Francis Robert Lucas (1849-1931) and his wife Katherine. After studying at
/ref> At the workshop, he began designing motor cars, registering 15 UK and three US patents between 1899 and 1910 for a range of different engine parts. This led to the Ralph Lucas Car, developed from 1901 until around 1908. The first model was an odd two-stroke car powered by
/ref> However, only a small number were ever made. The car was test driven for an article in ''The Engineer'' journal which reported, 'On the high gear the car travelled up long and steep gradients without necessitating change to the low gear’ it wrote, hailing the vehicle as ‘a highly meritorious attempt to adapt a two-cycle internal combustion engine to the propulsion of road vehicles.’ In 1922 Ralph Lucas developed a second car, the North-Lucas Radial, with Oliver North at the Robin Hood Engineering Works in Putney Vale. This time only one was built (by the Chelsea Motor Building Co), and it was used by Ralph himself between 1922 and 1928, covering 65,000 miles in its lifetime. Lucas married the pianist and composer Mary Anderson Juler in 1903, and they had two sons, Anthony Ralph Lucas (1905-????) and Colin Anderson Lucas (1906-1984). Lucas established a building firm (Lucas, Lloyd & Co.) which his son Colin joined in 1929. Colin Lucas became a renowned modernist architect and pioneer of reinforced concrete construction. In 1930 he built Noah's House and Boathouse in Cookham for his parents to live in. Mary Lucas established a music room there. It is now a Grade II listed building.''Ouspensky Today''. ''Colin Lucas: a view of a creative life''
/ref>
Ralph Lucas (1876-1955) was an entrepreneur and inventor, involved in the design and manufacturing of early motor cars. He was born in Greenwich, the son of telegraph engineer Francis Robert Lucas (1849-1931) and his wife Katherine. After studying at Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes f ...
, Lucas began his career as a draughtsman. But by the turn of the century he had established his own workshop (at Westcombe Hill, Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwic ...
), joining the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 membe ...
in 1903.Greenwich Industrial History: ''Ralph Lucas (1876-1955)''/ref> At the workshop, he began designing motor cars, registering 15 UK and three US patents between 1899 and 1910 for a range of different engine parts. This led to the Ralph Lucas Car, developed from 1901 until around 1908. The first model was an odd two-stroke car powered by
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; it had a piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas- ...
and a crankshaft at either end of its one cylinder. A button in the steering wheel controlled the speed of the engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
. The coachwork
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
was of pressed steel. The two-stroke design introduced in 1908 was the origin of the Valveless. After 1908 production moved to David Brown and Sons of Huddersfield.Grace's Guide to British Industrial History/ref> However, only a small number were ever made. The car was test driven for an article in ''The Engineer'' journal which reported, 'On the high gear the car travelled up long and steep gradients without necessitating change to the low gear’ it wrote, hailing the vehicle as ‘a highly meritorious attempt to adapt a two-cycle internal combustion engine to the propulsion of road vehicles.’ In 1922 Ralph Lucas developed a second car, the North-Lucas Radial, with Oliver North at the Robin Hood Engineering Works in Putney Vale. This time only one was built (by the Chelsea Motor Building Co), and it was used by Ralph himself between 1922 and 1928, covering 65,000 miles in its lifetime. Lucas married the pianist and composer Mary Anderson Juler in 1903, and they had two sons, Anthony Ralph Lucas (1905-????) and Colin Anderson Lucas (1906-1984). Lucas established a building firm (Lucas, Lloyd & Co.) which his son Colin joined in 1929. Colin Lucas became a renowned modernist architect and pioneer of reinforced concrete construction. In 1930 he built Noah's House and Boathouse in Cookham for his parents to live in. Mary Lucas established a music room there. It is now a Grade II listed building.
/ref>
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.''
As of 2018 there are approximately 35 active British car manufacturers and over 500 defunct British car manufacturers. This page lists ...
References
* David Burgess Wise, ''The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucas, Ralph British automotive engineers Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom Opposed piston engines Cars introduced in 1901 1876 births 1955 deaths People from Greenwich