Straker-Squire (also known as Brazil Straker) was a British automobile manufacturer based in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, and later
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
in
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...
.
The company was formed in 1893 at
St Philips, Bristol, as Brazil, Straker & Co by the Irish engineer J.P. Brazil and the London motor agent Sidney Straker. In 1899 Sidney Straker joined forces with Edward Bayley and went into production of
steam wagon
A steam wagon (or steam lorry, steam waggon or steamtruck) is a Steam power, steam-powered truck for carrying freight. It was the earliest form of lorry (truck) and came in two basic forms: ''overtype'' and ''undertype'', the distinction being t ...
s, joining in partnership with L.R.L. Squire in 1904 and production reached 200 steam wagons by 1906.
In 1907 the company moved into a new factory on
Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway is an ancient passage through the former Royal Forest of Kingswood and now the main road between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol, England. The road is designated the B4048.
The Causeway led to Kingswood Lodge at the top of ...
,
Fishponds
Fishponds is a suburb in the north-east of the English city of Bristol, about from Bristol city centre, the city centre. It is mainly residential, and housing is typically terraced Victorian. It has a small student population from the presence ...
, at first to manufacture commercial vehicles, including large numbers of early
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus s ...
, and a French car design under licence. The company also produced and successfully raced a number of its own car designs.
When
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
started, Sir
Roy Fedden
Sir Alfred Hubert Roy Fedden MBE, FRAeS (6 June 1885 – 21 November 1973) was an engineer who designed most of Bristol Engine Company's successful piston aircraft engine designs.
Early life
Fedden was born in the Bristol area to fairly weal ...
, their chief designer, convinced the company to take on aircraft engine repair and manufacture, and that arm of the company was taken over by
Cosmos Engineering
Cosmos Engineering was a company that manufactured aero-engines in a factory in Fishponds, Bristol during World War I. Sir Roy Fedden, the company's principal designer, developed the 14-cylinder radial Mercury engine during this period. The com ...
in 1918. The company built staff cars and lorries during the war and afterwards, all production moved to Edmonton in North London in 1919. Car production continued until 1926 and Sidney Straker was killed in a hunting accident not long afterwards.
Steam wagons
Straker began by building engines for
steam wagon
A steam wagon (or steam lorry, steam waggon or steamtruck) is a Steam power, steam-powered truck for carrying freight. It was the earliest form of lorry (truck) and came in two basic forms: ''overtype'' and ''undertype'', the distinction being t ...
s. A "Bayley"
undertype wagon, fitted with a Straker engine and
de Dion boiler
took part in the Second Liverpool Steam Wagon Trials of 1899.
[ Norris, Modern Steam Road Wagons, p. 151]
By 1901 Straker were building an entire wagon.
This exchanged the previous gear drive to the rear axle with a
chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles. It is also used in a wide variety of machines besides vehicles.
...
. Although other steam wagons used chain drives, this was the first to use a single chain, with the
differential mounted on the axle rather than the chassis, and with a chain to each wheel. The rear wheels were large in diameter and constructed on the
traction engine
A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any ...
pattern, with two rows of narrow built-up spokes. As these wheels were too large to fit under the load deck of the wagon, they were mounted outboard of it, requiring an extra-long axle.
These wagons were sold by the 'Straker Steam Vehicle Co' with offices at 9 Bush Lane, London and the works in Bristol.
They took part in the
War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
Trials at
Aldershot
Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...
of 1901, where they were awarded £100,
and 1902
By 1902 the rear wheels had been reduced in diameter and now had six broader spokes from a flat sheet: a single sheet for the 2 ton, doubled for the 5 and 7 ton models. The steam engine itself was a two-cylinder
compound
Compound may refer to:
Architecture and built environments
* Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall
** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...
, with cylinders of 7" stroke and 4" and 7" diameter. The transmission was relatively crude, using open gears rather than the enclosed oil-bath that was in use amongst other makers,
and indeed used for the high-speed engine of their 2-ton light tractor. Two gears were provided, but one was only intended for hill-climbing and could only be selected from alongside the engine, not from the driver's cab.
The boiler was Straker's own development of the original De Dion.
[ Norris, Straker, p. 31-33] It was a vertical
water-tube boiler
A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-generat ...
, constructed from four concentric tubes. The inner and outer pairs of tubes were joined to form two double-walled water jackets. Between these jackets ran numerous short, straight watertubes, sloping up slightly towards the centre. The central waterspace was higher than the outer space, acting as a
steam dome
The steam dome is a vessel fitted to the top of the boiler of a steam engine. It contains the opening to the main steam pipe and its purpose is to allow this opening to be kept well above the water level in the boiler. This arrangement acts as a ...
. This also made the boiler's water level less sensitive to tilting when hill climbing, a great concern for many wagon makes. The boiler was fired by dropping fuel, usually gasworks
coke, down a central firing chute. For cleaning every few months, the outer shell could be removed entirely.
In many ways the boiler was similar to, and a precursor of, the
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...
of 1905. It did however require more labour to manufacture four shells rather than two, with considerably more tubes. The work of removing the boiler shell was also greater for the Straker, as it required the pipework and external fittings to first be removed.
For 1905, inspired by the new regulations, an almost completely new design was produced.
This was a conventional
traction engine
A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any ...
-style
overtype
The Insert key (often abbreviated Ins) is a key commonly found on computer keyboards.
It is primarily used to switch between the two text-entering modes on a personal computer (PC) or word processor:
* overtype mode, in which the cursor, whe ...
with a locomotive boiler.
No Straker steam wagons are known to have survived today.
Car models
The first pre-war models consisted of the Straker-Squire 16/20 and 12/14 Shamrock. Next, Fedden designed the 15 hp model in three versions, which were more conventional than later designs influenced by the company's experience in aero engines. These 4-seater 15-20 hp models were developed over six years and in advertising were described as the best medium powered cars on the world market. A specially prepared 15-hp driven by Witchell took several records at
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
including the flying mile in 1910 at (21 hp class), and the same year saw class wins at the Aston Clinton, Caerphilly, Pateley Bridge and Saltburn
Hill Climb
Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...
s. 1914 saw similar success including 4th in the TT.
Production of the 15 hp was revived after World War I, which was joined by the large 6 cylinder 20/25, 24/80 and 24/90 models. The 24/90 was light, quick and noisy, it was guaranteed to meet and was priced at the 1919
Olympia Motor Show initially at £1,600. Straker's nephew H "Bertie" Kensington Moir of
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...
fame tested the prototype at Brooklands and set a class record lap at 103.76 mph. The final cars built by Straker-Squire were the lighter 4 cylinder 10/20 and 12/20 models.
The full list of Straker-Squire models is:
*CSB. 1906. 25 hp 4900 cc T-head engine. Imported French Cornilleau-Ste Beuve model. Competed in 1907 the Heavy-Car Tourist Trophy.
*16/20. 1907, 4cyl 2919 cc engine.
*12/14 Shamrock. 1907, 20 hp 4cyl 2069 cc water-cooled engine, in length.
*14/16. 1909, 4cyl 2022 cc 15hp engine, in length. Completed in the
RAC
RAC or Rac may refer to:
Organizations
* Radio Amateurs of Canada
* RATCH-Australia Corporation, electricity generator
* Refugee Action Collective (Victoria), Melbourne, Australia
* Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, US
* Rent-A-Cent ...
2,000 Miles Trial and was placed 3rd in class.
*15 hp Mark 1. 1910 model, 4cyl 2851 cc
side-valve
A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine''American Rodder'', 6/94, pp.45 & 93. or valve-in-block engine, is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the Cam-in-block, engine block, instead of in the cyl ...
engine, in length.
*15 hp Mark 2. 1911-13 model. As above but heavier and in length.
*15 hp Mark 3. 1914-22 model. Improved 4cyl 3054 cc side-valve engine and in length.
*20/25. 1920-25, 6cyl 3920 cc engine with overhead cam, at 2400 rpm, in length. in normal spec.
*24/80. 1920-25. As 20/25 but with longer wheelbase.
*24/90. 1921. 6cyl 4962 cc overhead valve engine. 67 built.
*10/20. 1923-25. 4cyl 1460 cc overhead valve engine, a lighter car of various bodywork length between and 92+ built.
*11/28. 1926. 4cyl 1460 cc overhead valve engine, , in length.
*12/20. 1926. As above but with wider track.
Bus manufacturing
Straker-Squire began by supplying a small number of buses to
GWR road motor services
The Great Western Railway road motor services operated from 1903 to 1933 by the Great Western Railway, both as a feeder to their train services, and as a cheaper alternative to building new railways in rural areas. They were the first successful ...
before expanding rapidly to cater for the London Bus market. In 1905 work included the bus chassis used for
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace.
On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...
ambulances
An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
and they manufactured 50
omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Omnibus'' (film), a 1992 French short comedy film
* Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes
* ''Omnibus'' (British TV programme), an arts-based documentary programme
* ''Omnibu ...
chassis and engines for London buses. By 1909 Straker-Squire dominated the market and the factory in Fishponds supplied 70% of London's buses. Great Eastern of London took delivery of another 22 in bright yellow chrome livery in 1911. Post war the A-type bus in chassis and/or body form sold very well.
The company was also involved in the manufacture of
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es. The general manager of the Teesside Railless Traction Board developed a new and improved trolleybus design
and
Clough, Smith arranged for it to be manufactured. It was marketed as the ''Straker-Clough trolley omnibus''. This chassis and design came to be regarded as both pioneering and improving the industry standard. The chassis was manufactured by Straker-Squire, the electrical equipment by
BTH of
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, its population was 78,117, making it the List of Warwickshire towns by population, secon ...
, and Clough, Smith arranged production of the bodies. The whole would be sold to system operators as part of a package deal which included the design, supply and installation of the overhead electrical equipment.
Truck models
The first trucks built were German designed
Büssing
Büssing AG was a German bus and truck manufacturer, established in 1903 by Heinrich Büssing (1843–1929) in Braunschweig. It quickly evolved to one of the largest European producers, whose utility vehicles with the Brunswick Lion emblem were w ...
2cyl trucks under licence from 1906.
Truck models included.:
AutoLemon: Truck Straker-Squire
Retrieved on 2007-11-29
*Büssing 3-ton. 1906-09. 4cyl worm drive petrol engine. German design built under licence.
*Colonial 5-ton. 1910.
*Military 3/4-ton. 1913-18. Built in large numbers for the British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
.
*A type 5-ton. 1919. Semi-forward-control, 4cyl worm drive engine.
Commercial vehicle production moved to Twickenham
Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
during the war. After car production ended in 1926 a limited number of bus and truck chassis and Straker-Clough trolley buses were also built.
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
{{Automotive industry in the United Kingdom
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1893
Defunct companies based in Bristol
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England
Manufacturing companies based in Bristol
Steam wagon manufacturers
Steam wagon boilers
Motor vehicle manufacturers based in London
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1926
1893 establishments in England
1926 disestablishments in England
British companies disestablished in 1926
British companies established in 1893