E. D. Abbott Ltd
Encyclopedia
Abbott was a British coachbuilding company based in Farnham
, Surrey.
Edward Dixon Abbott had been employed in the design department of the Wolseley
car company before joining the coachbuilders Page and Hunt which had started operations in 1920. Abbott became their London Sales Manager and when Page and Hunt failed in 1929 he took over their Farnham works forming a new company taking his name.
Many of the early orders were for commercial vehicles keeping the new company afloat during the worst of the depression but some car body making continued. From 1931 Abbott took a stand each year at the London Motor Show. Cars fitted with bodies included the Austin 7
, Daimler
s and Talbot
s.
The company built a glider called the Farnham Sailplane
and in 1931 the company established a subsidiary Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd
to build more sailplanes. The parent company continued to sell and advertise the sailplanes.
In 1934 Abbott got a major contract from Lagonda
to provide all the bodies for the new small Rapier and work from Frazer-Nash for coachwork on imported BMW
chassis.
During the second world war the company manufactured experimental radar aerials for the Royal Aircraft Establishment
.
After World War 2 the company restarted its coachbuilding activities building production runs of coupés for Sunbeam-Talbot
and Healey
, as well as some special bodies for Jowett
, Bentley
and Lanchester
. Large orders came from Ford
for estate car versions of their Consul
and Zephyr
models which kept the firm in business during the late 1950s and early 1960s, after which Ford estate production (aside from the Corsair) was done by Ford themselves as the level of demand had shown mass production was viable.
The days of the special coachbuilding industry were numbered and orders declined through the 1960s and the company finally closed in 1972.
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, Surrey.
Edward Dixon Abbott had been employed in the design department of the Wolseley
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
car company before joining the coachbuilders Page and Hunt which had started operations in 1920. Abbott became their London Sales Manager and when Page and Hunt failed in 1929 he took over their Farnham works forming a new company taking his name.
Many of the early orders were for commercial vehicles keeping the new company afloat during the worst of the depression but some car body making continued. From 1931 Abbott took a stand each year at the London Motor Show. Cars fitted with bodies included 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...
, Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
s and Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
s.
The company built a glider called the Farnham Sailplane
Abbott Farnham sailplane
The Abbott Farnham sailplane was a one-off competition sailplane designed and built in the United Kingdom in 1930. It competed in the National Championships held in Germany that year.-Design and development:...
and in 1931 the company established a subsidiary Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd
Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd
Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd was a 1930s glider manufacturing company based at Wrecclesham, near Farnham, Surrey. It was founded as a subsidiary of E. D. Abbott Ltd in 1931 by L. E. Baynes and E. D. Abbott to build the Scud, a glider designed by Baynes in 1930, the prototype of which was built by...
to build more sailplanes. The parent company continued to sell and advertise the sailplanes.
In 1934 Abbott got a major contract from Lagonda
Lagonda
Lagonda is a British luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn . He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio, United States...
to provide all the bodies for the new small Rapier and work from Frazer-Nash for coachwork on imported BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
chassis.
During the second world war the company manufactured experimental radar aerials for the Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
.
After World War 2 the company restarted its coachbuilding activities building production runs of coupés for Sunbeam-Talbot
Sunbeam-Talbot
-Background history:The Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed in 1905 to separate the Sunbeam motorcycle and bicycle maker from the new car manufacturer....
and Healey
Donald Healey Motor Company
-History:It was formed in 1945 by Donald Healey, a renowned auto engineer and successful racing driver. It was formed after Healey discussed sports car design with Achille Sampietro, a chassis specialist for high performance cars and Ben Bowden, a body engineer, when all three worked at Humber...
, as well as some special bodies for Jowett
Jowett
Jowett was a manufacturer of light cars and light commercial vehicles in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England from 1906 to 1954.-Early history:Jowett was founded in 1901 by brothers Benjamin and William Jowett with Arthur V Lamb. They started in the cycle business and went on to make V-twin engines...
, Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
and Lanchester
Lanchester Motor Company
The Lanchester Motor Company Limited was a car manufacturer based until 1930 at Armourer Mills, Montgomery Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England. It operated from 1895 to 1955....
. Large orders came from Ford
Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...
for estate car versions of their Consul
Ford Consul
The Ford Consul is a car manufactured by Ford in Britain.Between 1951 and 1962 the Consul was the four-cylinder base model of the three-model Ford Zephyr range, comprising Consul, Zephyr and Zephyr Zodiac...
and Zephyr
Ford Zephyr
The Ford Zephyr was a car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom. Between 1950 and 1972, it was sold as a more powerful six-cylinder saloon to complement the four-cylinder Ford Consul: from 1962 the Zephyr itself was offered in both four- and six-cylinder versions.The Zephyr...
models which kept the firm in business during the late 1950s and early 1960s, after which Ford estate production (aside from the Corsair) was done by Ford themselves as the level of demand had shown mass production was viable.
The days of the special coachbuilding industry were numbered and orders declined through the 1960s and the company finally closed in 1972.