Freestone and Webb
Encyclopedia
Freestone and Webb were an English
coachbuilder
, most notably for Rolls-Royce
and Bentley
motor cars.
The company was formed in 1923 by V.E. Freestone and A.J. Webb as a specialist coachbuilding service, based in workshops in Brentfield Road, Willesden
, North London
, which became its home for its entire life. Freestone had learnt his trade for working at Crossley Motors
, while Webb had returned to England having trained in France
.
Concentrating only on bespoke Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, they developed the style known as Top hat
, and popularised the Razor Edge style. Delivering up to 15 cars per annum, they began showing at the London Motor Show, and won the Gold Medal in the private coachbuilders competition nine years in a row.
Like many independent manufacturers during World War II
, they became a shadow factory, producing highly detailed and intricate wing tips for the Supermarine Spitfire
.
Post World War II, Rolls-Royce decided to offer a complete car inhouse, resulting from 1946 in the Bentley Mark VI
, and the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
. Although then still offering a chassis-only option, orders to Freestone and Webb tumbled, and the company began to suffer financial difficulties.
On the death of A.J. Webb in 1955, the company was taken over by the Swain Group, who owned motor dealer H.R. Owen
of Berkeley Street, London. This was the same year as the introduction of the Bentley S1
/Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
, neither of which came as a chassis only option. With its main chassis supplier relationship now ended, it continued to refurbish and build bodies until 1958, when it became a pure showroom brand. In 1963, after Swain decided to divest itself of its coach building arm and focus just on motor retail, it was sold in 1963 to the new owners of fellow coachbuilders Harold Radford
.
Subsequently dropped as a registered limited company and brand name, it was reregistered at Companies House
in 1990 by an enthusiast owner, who sold it together with his 1953 Bentley 3.5 Saloon
at an auction at Brooklands
, on June 2, 2010.
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...
coachbuilder
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
, most notably for Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
and 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...
motor cars.
The company was formed in 1923 by V.E. Freestone and A.J. Webb as a specialist coachbuilding service, based in workshops in Brentfield Road, Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, which became its home for its entire life. Freestone had learnt his trade for working at Crossley Motors
Crossley Motors
Crossley Motors was a British motor vehicle manufacturer based in Manchester, England. They produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945.Crossley Brothers, originally...
, while Webb had returned to England having trained in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Concentrating only on bespoke Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, they developed the style known as Top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
, and popularised the Razor Edge style. Delivering up to 15 cars per annum, they began showing at the London Motor Show, and won the Gold Medal in the private coachbuilders competition nine years in a row.
Like many independent manufacturers during 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...
, they became a shadow factory, producing highly detailed and intricate wing tips for the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
.
Post World War II, Rolls-Royce decided to offer a complete car inhouse, resulting from 1946 in the Bentley Mark VI
Bentley Mark VI
The Bentley Mark VI was the first post-war luxury car from Bentley.Announced in May 1946 and produced from 1946 to 1952 it was also both the first car from Rolls-Royce with all-steel coachwork and the first complete car assembled and finished at their factory...
, and the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
For information on the Silver Wraith II, see Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce model and was made at the Crewe factory from 1946 to 1959....
. Although then still offering a chassis-only option, orders to Freestone and Webb tumbled, and the company began to suffer financial difficulties.
On the death of A.J. Webb in 1955, the company was taken over by the Swain Group, who owned motor dealer H.R. Owen
H.R. Owen
H.R. Owen is Britain's leading luxury motor dealer, and the world's largest retailer in Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti brands.-Background:...
of Berkeley Street, London. This was the same year as the introduction of the Bentley S1
Bentley S1
The Bentley S was a luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1955 until 1959.Bentley 's first true complete redesign of their standard production car after World War II and their last standard production car with an independent chassis.These cars were given a new V8 engine in late 1959,...
/Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was the core model of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars range from April 1955 until March 1966. It replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, replaced by the Silver Shadow.The J. P...
, neither of which came as a chassis only option. With its main chassis supplier relationship now ended, it continued to refurbish and build bodies until 1958, when it became a pure showroom brand. In 1963, after Swain decided to divest itself of its coach building arm and focus just on motor retail, it was sold in 1963 to the new owners of fellow coachbuilders Harold Radford
Harold Radford
Harold Radford & Co Limited of Melton Court, South Kensington, London SW7, were bespoke coachbuilders. The business began in the late 1940s making relatively minor changes to bodywork for owners of new Bentleys, amendments to suit the rural lifestyle of the landed gentry...
.
Subsequently dropped as a registered limited company and brand name, it was reregistered at Companies House
Companies House
Companies House is the United Kingdom Registrar of Companies and is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills . All forms of companies are incorporated and registered with Companies House and file specific details as required by the...
in 1990 by an enthusiast owner, who sold it together with his 1953 Bentley 3.5 Saloon
Bentley R Type
The R Type is the second series of post-war Bentley automobiles, replacing the Mark VI. Essentially a larger-boot version of the Mk VI, the R type is regarded by some as a stop-gap before the introduction of the S series cars in 1955. As with its predecessor, a standard body was available as well...
at an auction at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
, on June 2, 2010.