Hampton (car)

The Hampton Cars Limited. was a British automobile manufacturer that was 1912-1918 as Hampton Engineering Company in Kings Norton (Birmingham ), and then until 1933 as the Hampton Cars in Stroud ( Gloucestershire ) resident.

History

The company was founded by William Paddon from Hampton-in - Arden ( Warwickshire ), who was selling cars and offered to build light vehicles and motorcycles. It is not known how many of them he made. 1912 had the Crowdy Car Company in Birmingham bankruptcy. The remains of this company were merged with the Hampton Engineering Company and constructed production in Kings Norton. The Crowdy 12/14 hp got a larger 1726 - cc engine and became the Hampton 12/16 hp. A belt-driven Cyclecar, the Hampton 8 hp, obviously designed by Paddon and equipped with an air-cooled V-2 engine with 968 cc, added in 1913 the offer. 1914 followed the Hampton 10 hp with water-cooled 1244- cc engine and propeller shaft. The production was set at the outbreak of World War I and the company was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1915.

1919, the company was re-established as a joint venture by William Paddon and Charles Apperley of the Stroud Metal and Plating Company and moved production to Stroud. The first post-war car was the Hampton 11.9 hp with a Dorman four-cylinder engine with 1496 cc or 1795 cc capacity. After the production of only a few copies of the financial resources were no longer sufficient and the company was taken over by its major shareholder, John Daniel, and under the name Hampton Engineering Company (1920 ) Ltd.. registered. William Paddon left the company and joined the Autocrat Light Car Company in Birmingham.

William Millward, who came from Charron - Laycock, took over in 1923 the post of Plant Manager and John Leno, son of the vaudeville star Dan Leno, was sales director. Although Hampton now produced about 300 cars a year, the company had to file for bankruptcy again in 1924, but was Millward and Leno Stroud Manufacturing Company Ltd.. newly established. A new, larger model, the Hampton 14 hp, also with a 1496 cc engine, but now came from Henry Meadows was announced.

1925 had the bankruptcy trustee are already active, but returned as Hampton Hampton Cars ( London) Ltd.. with money from the businessman John Hatton Hill back on the market.

The company moved into a small factory in Selsley Hill and introduced a luxurious 3 -liter model with Meadows six-cylinder engine. In addition was also the well-known 14 hp - now Hampton 12/40 hp, or with the smaller 1247 cc engine also called Hampton Nine - built. This did not improve the financial situation of the company, however, and in 1930 it fell back into bankruptcy.

Amazingly, Hampton succeeded as suspension Safety Car Company again a new beginning. Fifty -line eight- cylinder engine with 2496 cc and a hundred Suspensions were purchased from Rohr in Germany, from which the Hampton Empire Sportsman arose. The remaining fifty suspension has been equipped with a 2414 cc six-cylinder engines from Continental in the USA. At most one or two of these cars were completed before the company in 1933 finally disappeared from the market.

During the whole time about 1100 Hampton automobiles emerged. Five of those have survived.

Models

The 12/16 hp was a design that was adopted by the former Crowdy Car Company and equipped with a new, side-valve engine. He was from 1912 to 1915 in the offer. The four-cylinder in-line engine had 1700 cc displacement. The company brochure shows an open touring car for the price of £ 295 The wheelbase was 2743 mm and the vehicle length 3962 mm.

The Hampton 8 hp stood from 1913 to 1914 in the offer. It was a light, two-seat Cyclecar. For driving a V-2 engine of Precision made ​​with 970 cc displacement. The car was equipped with a belt drive to the rear wheels.

The Hampton 10 hp was offered in 1914. He had a four-cylinder engine with 1250 cc capacity, which was either supplied by Ballot or Chapuis - Dornier. The body could seat four people.

This series has been offered 1919-1922 under different model names. The 10/16 hp had a four-cylinder in-line engine with 1496 cc and 11.9 hp and 11/35 hp each with 1795 cm ³ a. They were purchased from Dorman. The chassis was uniform 2743 mm long. The length was 3505 mm for the weaker models and 3810 mm for the more powerful models.

The most common body at the Hampton was an open two-seater in the colors dunkelbiscuit or lavender for the price of £ 520 The wheels were suspended on semi-elliptic leaf springs front and three-quarter elliptic leaf springs at the rear.

Many of these cars were used in competitions.

The 14 hp was published in 1923 and remained until 1929 in the range. He was a larger and longer version of the Nine ( 9/21 hp ), the engine with 1500 cc capacity now of Henry Meadows - albeit by Dorman design - came. The gearbox now had four courses. Semi- elliptic leaf springs now came on all wheels used.

The wheelbase was 2743 mm, and the length between 3505 mm and 3810 mm. A touring car cost £ 1923 500, but by 1929 the price dropped to £ 315 Maybe it was the customer, even a compressor in the later versions, which showed that Hampton still cherished sporting ambitions.

Hampton Nine

The Nine was also Junior, T10, 9/21 hp or 10 hp and was called from 1923 to 1931 in the offer. He was the smaller version of the 14 hp. However, the wheelbase was only 2438 mm long. The length was 3505 mm. For the drive was provided by a four-cylinder engine with 1250 cc capacity.

The 20 hp was the first of the new model range of larger cars with Meadows engine with 2400 cc capacity and Zenith carburettors. He was 1929-1933 on the market. It gave him also with line eight- cylinder engine of 2262 cc capacity with Rohr as a model 8/18 hp.

There were five -seater touring cars and four-door sedans with prices starting at £ 450 for a wheelbase of 3048 mm, the length was 4115 mm.

Only a few cars, probably less than 100 pieces, arose.

Hampton 3 liter

This model was probably a renamed 20 hp with a larger Meadows engine, because the wheelbase, length, and bodies were identical. He stood from 1929 to 1931 in the offer. For the drive was provided by a six-cylinder engine with 2900 cc capacity.

Hampton Eight / Empire Sportsman

The last model from 1930 to 1933 had around a chassis with independent suspension of Rohr. The front axle support its decisions on a transverse leaf spring. The cars were equipped with brake booster. Also, the eight-cylinder in-line engine with 2500 cc capacity came from Roehr, the six-cylinder engine with 2400 cc of Continental.

The vehicles were 4267 mm long and 1828 mm wide with a wheelbase of 3302 mm.

There have been ordered fifty eight-cylinder engines, but probably only a few cars were completed.

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