Adamson
Encyclopedia
The Adamson was an English
car manufactured in Enfield
, Middlesex
, from 1912 to 1925. It was designed by Reginald Barton Adamson at the premises of the family haulage contract business.
The first car of 1912 was a small two-seater bullnosed cyclecar
and had a 1,099 cc twin-cylinder or 1,074 cc four-cylinder engine made by Alpha of Coventry
driving the rear wheels via a three-speed-and-reverse gearbox and a countershaft from which two V-belts went to the rear wheels. The engine could be started from the driving seat using a mechanical linkage. The channel section steel chassis was placed under the axles with suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs. This arrangement allowed the car to have a low, sporting appearance. In 1914 the option of a larger four-cylinder version was added. A new model was announced in 1916 with 1330 cc four-cylinder engine, but few if any reached the public before car production ceased later that year.
After the war a new company, R. Barton Adamson and Co was formed and the 1916 four-cylinder car was resurrected but now with a Coventry-Simplex
engine. In 1920 it cost £375 falling to £210 in 1924 but to put the price into perspective, in 1923 the Austin 7
was launched costing £165.
s side by side with the driver in the off-side one and powered by a choice of air- or water-cooled 9-horsepower 1078 cc V twin cylinder
Anzani
engines with chain drive mounted between the two passenger units.
Production numbers are not known.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
car manufactured in Enfield
Enfield Town
Enfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the county of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is north north-east of Charing Cross...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, from 1912 to 1925. It was designed by Reginald Barton Adamson at the premises of the family haulage contract business.
The first car of 1912 was a small two-seater bullnosed cyclecar
Cyclecar
Cyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s.-General description:Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or more rarely four cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other...
and had a 1,099 cc twin-cylinder or 1,074 cc four-cylinder engine made by Alpha of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
driving the rear wheels via a three-speed-and-reverse gearbox and a countershaft from which two V-belts went to the rear wheels. The engine could be started from the driving seat using a mechanical linkage. The channel section steel chassis was placed under the axles with suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs. This arrangement allowed the car to have a low, sporting appearance. In 1914 the option of a larger four-cylinder version was added. A new model was announced in 1916 with 1330 cc four-cylinder engine, but few if any reached the public before car production ceased later that year.
After the war a new company, R. Barton Adamson and Co was formed and the 1916 four-cylinder car was resurrected but now with a Coventry-Simplex
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
engine. In 1920 it cost £375 falling to £210 in 1924 but to put the price into perspective, in 1923 the Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...
was launched costing £165.
Twin Car
The final cars from 1923 were the "Twin-Cars" which were effectively two sidecarSidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
s side by side with the driver in the off-side one and powered by a choice of air- or water-cooled 9-horsepower 1078 cc V twin cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
Anzani
Anzani
Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani , which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.-Overview:...
engines with chain drive mounted between the two passenger units.
Production numbers are not known.