Archibald Frazer-Nash
Encyclopedia
Archibald Goodman Frazer Nash (30 June 1889 - 10 March 1965), was an early English
motor car designer and engineer, who specialised in manufacturer of light ("cycle") and sports cars in England.
Born in India
on 30 June 1889, in 1910 he partnered with Henry Ronald Godfrey
whom he had met at technical college, to produce the GN
cycle car. A light-weight two-cylinder car first sold in 1911, it stayed in production (apart from the war years) until 1922 in the UK and 1925 in France, where it was made under licence by Salmson. Frazer Nash's racing successes in highly developed versions of the cars contributed to their popularity.
In 1923 he started the Frazer Nash company to produce an evolution of the GN, still chain-driven, which became the Frazer Nash
sports car. Frazer Nash Ltd. was reconstituted as AFN Ltd in 1927. The new company was taken over by H.J. ("Aldy" or "HJ") Aldington in 1929. At the same time Frazer Nash resigned from any management role, although he remained a small shareholder.
In 1929, he started a separate engineering company, Nash & Thompson which designed a very successful machine-gun turret, the Frazer-Nash hydraulic aircraft turret, for World War II
British bombers. In the same year he launched Nash Safe-Load Indicators Ltd. to make a safety device for cranes he had invented. Its manufacture was subsequently licenced to Vickers.
Archie changed his name from "Frazer Nash" to "Frazer-Nash" (with hyphen) in 1938, so both forms are correct, depending on the reference period. After World War II he started again inventing engineered products for defence, aircraft and atomic energy. After his death in 1965, the business continued growing as Frazer Nash Group until forced into receivership in 1990 by the UK government defence expenditure cuts.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
motor car designer and engineer, who specialised in manufacturer of light ("cycle") and sports cars in England.
Born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on 30 June 1889, in 1910 he partnered with Henry Ronald Godfrey
Henry Ronald Godfrey
Henry Ronald Godfrey , was an early English motor car design engineer.Born near London, he met Archibald Frazer-Nash at technical college, to produce the GN cycle car...
whom he had met at technical college, to produce the GN
GN (car)
thumb|right|200px|Richard Scaldwell's JAP-engined GN Grand Prix special at the VSCC SeeRed race meeting, Donington Park, September 2007. The GN has a 5.1 litre V8 aero-engine shoehorned into its lightweight cyclecar frame....
cycle car. A light-weight two-cylinder car first sold in 1911, it stayed in production (apart from the war years) until 1922 in the UK and 1925 in France, where it was made under licence by Salmson. Frazer Nash's racing successes in highly developed versions of the cars contributed to their popularity.
In 1923 he started the Frazer Nash company to produce an evolution of the GN, still chain-driven, which became the Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash was a British sports car manufacturer and engineering company founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922. It produced sports cars incorporating a unique multi-chain transmission before World War II and also imported BMW cars to the UK. After the war it continued producing sports cars with...
sports car. Frazer Nash Ltd. was reconstituted as AFN Ltd in 1927. The new company was taken over by H.J. ("Aldy" or "HJ") Aldington in 1929. At the same time Frazer Nash resigned from any management role, although he remained a small shareholder.
In 1929, he started a separate engineering company, Nash & Thompson which designed a very successful machine-gun turret, the Frazer-Nash hydraulic aircraft turret, for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British bombers. In the same year he launched Nash Safe-Load Indicators Ltd. to make a safety device for cranes he had invented. Its manufacture was subsequently licenced to Vickers.
Archie changed his name from "Frazer Nash" to "Frazer-Nash" (with hyphen) in 1938, so both forms are correct, depending on the reference period. After World War II he started again inventing engineered products for defence, aircraft and atomic energy. After his death in 1965, the business continued growing as Frazer Nash Group until forced into receivership in 1990 by the UK government defence expenditure cuts.