First Cars, pre-dating the first world war

First Cars, pre-dating the first world war

The BSA Company first produced a motor car in 1907 some 2 years before it produced its first complete motor cycle. From 1907 various RWD BSA cars were produced before production of all RWD cars stopped in 1936 when the company concentrated on FWD vehicles. Designed by Captain E Baguley the first BSA cars were produced in various forms with capacities ranging from 2.5 to 4.2 litre. The larger cars were based on the 1907 Peking-Paris Itala. Following the purchase of the Daimler Company by BSA in September 1910 responsibility for Motor Car manufacture was transferred to the latter company. BSA cars continued to be produced for two years following the amalgamation of the two companies but after this point they became badge engineered Daimlers.

Rear-Wheel-Drive cars 1921 to 1924

The 1914-18 war stopped production of BSA cars and it was not until 1921 that production of cars resumed. This was no badge-engineered Daimler but a genuine attempt to move into the light car market with the RWD V twin. This car used an engine based on the Hotchkiss designed 900 V twin introduced in early 1921. The car was certainly designed at Small Heath and may well have been produced in one of BSA's Birmingham factories, but this is by no means certain.

The car was eventually produced with V twin, 4 cylinder one 6 cylinder engine with the latter being a Knight sleeve valve engine. The cars were produced between 1922 and 1926. BSA constructed a large new factory on the Coventry Road, Birmingham which was known as the light car works to handle production of these vehicles. Production of the RWD cars never really came to anything with estimates of the numbers produced for all models quoted at around 1000 over the 4 years.

The car was entered by BSA in many rallies during the twenties, doing quite well in the hands of Captain Brittain and Mr Danby. Strong competition from the cheaper Austin 7 helped to force an early end to this interesting light car in which are to be found the basis for BSA ventures into FWD three and four wheel cars from 1929.

The first Front Wheel Drive cars, 1929

It is only in recent years that the concept of front wheel drive in cars has become popularly acceptable. However, the concept of front wheel drive has been with us since the earliest days of motoring, after all in those days there was not guaranteed 'way to do it'. Obviously car manufacturers soon realized that it was preferable to steer with the front wheels and this automatically led to rear wheel driving, a simplification perhaps but probably the reason why.

In the nineteen-twenties front wheel drive motoring was limited to a relatively few small production runs, with the FWD Alvis being one of the first series U1( FWD cars with only a few hundred produced.

The BSA company in the late twenties no doubt examined all the layout permutations when they decided to enter the light car/three wheeler market, then dominated by the Morgan. Two wheels at the front was the popular configuration at that time, but driving through a single rear wheel did mean a "motorcycle" type assembly and a heavy driving load on the single tyre. FWD offered an easily detachable rear wheel with no oily chains - a sales "plus".

So in November 1929 the BSA three wheeler appeared. BSA designers had not restricted themselves to a FWD Morgan or Coventry Victor, and introduced innovations such as a reverse gear, electric start and full weather protection. Independent front suspension was another benefit resulting from the FWD layout and "Motor Cycle" of the day said "The details of this vehicle are of such interest that it may be said to mark a milestone in the history of the light runabout".

The engine in the BSA Three wheeler was based on the Hotchkiss designed 900 air cooled V-twin (1021cc), used previously in the 1922 RWD BSA. This allowed the car to be kept within the 8cwt weight taxation limit for three wheelers. The engine was mounted with cylinders across the car and  driving through a cork clutch and conventional gearbox to a differential mounted midway between the front wheels. Final drive was by shaft, flexible coupling and Hooke joints at the front wheels. Two coupled brakes were fitted, one on the rear wheels and one mounted to the right of the differential. This extract from a sales brochure shows the front suspension layout. Earliest trikes did not have any shock absorbers but these were fitted to all later models apparently to prevent spring breakage. The diagram is taken from a 1935 Scout brochure. The suspension arrangement remained essentially the same throughout the life of the vehicles although later Scouts had outboard front brakes. The BSA/Daimler (Armoured) car manufactured during WWII had suspension of the same pattern, but in 4 wheel drive form and somewhat more massive!

More Threewheelers

The 1930 BSA three wheeler was introduced with two models, a sports and a tourer, supplemented by a four seater family model for 1931. For 1932 there were four models. The four seater squeezed two children's seats in behind the main passenger seats. They were decidedly child-sized and there was a footwell on one side only for the larger child to have extra legroom. The seats were deck-chair style canvas seats rigged between the rear body and bars fixed to the rear wheel cover.

A non-starter was the Trike Van. A small number were built but there appeared to be a severe shortage of delivery firms brave enough to try them. One has been re-created by a Club member. We understand he advertises a feather and balloon delivery service but has avoided branching out into heavier haulage! 

BSA's first FWD Four wheeler

In 1931 BSA's foresaw a market for a four wheel light car and in that autumn introduced a four wheel version of the trike, the FW32. This was produced in a two seater, four seater and van versions, unfortunately they offered no advantages other than road stability over the trike and not many were built. Another short lived model in 1931 was the TW-5 van version of the threewheeler,