Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

s from 1896 until 1977.

History

In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its first steam van. This was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Show, and could carry a load of 1 ton. It was fitted with a Thornycroft marine launch-type boiler (Thornycroft announced a new boiler designed for its steam carriages in October 1897). The engine was a twin-cylinder compound engine arranged so that high-pressure steam could be admitted to the low-pressure cylinder to give extra power for hill-climbing. A modified version of the steam wagon with a 6-cubic-yard tipper body was developed for

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

council in 1896 and went into service as a very early self-propelled dust-cart. While the original 1896 wagon had front-wheel drive with rear-wheel steering, the tipper dust-cart had rear-wheel drive and front-wheel steering. The Thornycroft tipper was built by the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works, though engined by Thornycroft. Thornycroft's first

petrol Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...

vehicle was built in 1902, and the company completed the move into internal combustion engine power in 1907. Thornycroft's

Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...

factory supplied nearly 5,000 motor vehicles for the

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 ...

effort. It also provided large numbers of engines of various powers to the Admiralty,

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 ...

and other government departments at the beginning of the war and for the next two years. Thereafter the Basingstoke factory manufactured marine engines for the Coastal Motor Boats being built at the John I. Thornycroft & Company works in Woolston, Southampton. The 180HP 6-cylinder Thornycroft marine engine was also used in 20 petrol shunters made for war use by Manning Wardle & Co. Thornycroft also made the Thornycroft depth-charge thrower for

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...

. In 1924, the

, anticipating the immediate need for motorised transport in the event of another war, set up a subsidy scheme whereby purchasers of approved vehicles would receive a £120 subsidy per vehicle with the proviso that the War Office could buy the vehicles at a pre-arranged price when needed. The Thornycroft A1 chassis was chosen for this scheme. From 1931, Thornycroft used descriptive names for its vehicle range. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the company designed the Terrapin and other war-related vehicles. In 1948, the company name was changed to Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Ltd to prevent confusion with the shipbuilding Thornycroft company. The company was well known for providing fire engine chassis, with multi-axle drive for uses such as airports. A limited number of 4x4 chassis were also provided to Worcester-based fire engine manufacturer, Carmichael for sale to civilian brigades in the 1950s. Thornycroft was taken over on 1 March 1961 by AEC parent Associated Commercial Vehicles (ACV), with production limited to Antars, Big Bens and Nubians, although the Thornycroft-designed six-speed constant mesh gearbox was used in AEC and later medium weight

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than "Britain" today. The name for Scot ...

and Leyland trucks. ACV was taken over by Leyland in 1962. Leyland already had a specialist vehicle unit in Scammell. Vehicle production at Basingstoke ceased in 1969 with production transferred to Scammell at

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

. The factory continued to manufacture gearboxes. It was sold in 1972 to

Eaton Corporation Eaton Corporation plc is an American-Irish-domiciled multinational power management company, with a primary administrative center in Beachwood, Ohio. Eaton has more than 85,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countr ...

.Thornycroft to leave Basingstoke
''Commercial Motor'' 12 January 1973 page 28

Models

Bus and coach

*Type J *Beautyride *Boudicea *Cygnet (Single Deck) *Daring (Double Deck) *Lightning *Nippy *Patrician

Lorry

* Type J 40 hp, 1913 * Type K 30 hp, 1913 * Hathi, 1924 – four-wheel drive

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two m ...

for the army * A1 Subsidy, 1924 * A1 RSW / A3 RSW, – an off-road capable rigid six-wheeler to an army specification, 1926 * A2 * QC / Dreadnought, 1930 – 12 ton rigid six-wheel chassis. *Hardy *Dandy *Sturdy - 5/6 tonner *Trusty - 8 ton forward control 4 wheeler *Bullfinch *Strenuous *Mastiff *Tartar 3-ton 6x4, both civilian & military versions and production (3,000 - 4,000) between 1938 and 1945. *Taurus *Iron Duke *Amazon *Stag *Bulldog *Jupiter - 6.5 ton *Nubian – 3-ton vehicle available as 4 x 4, 6 x 4, 6 x 6 *Big Ben * Antar – 85-ton – 6 x 4 pipeline and tank transporter *Swift *Trident

References

External links

Image of a Thornycroft Steam Wagon from around 1904'Thornycroft of Basingstoke'
- (Hampshire Cultural Trust) - extensive coverage of history and vehicles
Thornycroft vehicle preservation groupThorneycroft Classic Motor HistoryYoutube video of an existing Thorneycroft rifle in the Royal Armories in Leeds, England
{{Automotive industry in the United Kingdom Defunct bus manufacturers of the United Kingdom Defunct truck manufacturers of the United Kingdom Former defence companies of the United Kingdom Military vehicle manufacturers Associated Equipment Company Steam wagon manufacturers Steam road vehicle manufacturers Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1896 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1977 1896 establishments in England 1977 disestablishments in England British companies established in 1896 British companies disestablished in 1977