Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,990 pages of information and 246,457 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Specialloid

From Graces Guide
April 1947.
May 1947.
November 1947.
December 1947.
February 1948.
March 1948.
April 1948.
May 1948.
June 1948.
July 1948.
August 1948.
1948.
November 1954.
October 1955.
November 1957. Thermoflow.
November 1958.
May 1961.
1962.
October 1962.
1962.
Sept 1963.
November 1968.

of Friern Park, North Finchley, London, N12 (1937)

of Leeds (1961)

1921 Private company.

1937 Piston manufacturers. "Specialloid" Pistons. [1]

1938 Company made public.

1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers

1961 Manufacturers of aluminium alloy pistons and ferrous piston components for diesel and petrol engines for road, rail, marine, aircraft and stationary applications and manufacturers of transmission couplings. 700 employees. [2]

1962 Acquired jointly by Clifford Motor Components and Associated Engineering.[3]

1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Pistons, rings, gudgeon pins etc. [4]

1967 Associated Engineering acquired the shares it did not already own.[5]


Memories working at Specialloid by Rose White

"I worked there in about 1966/7 on the rough turning line making mainly pistons for Vauxhall and Rootes. Next line made various including a batch for Matchless G50 racers. Another made big flat pistons for water mills. The place was bright and friendly rather than grim Victorian like all other factories on that road.

Showroom window on street had huge ship engine pistons. Behind my line had been installed a group of multispindle machines that theoretically could turn a complete piston from rough but it was practically impossible to get it to make two identical or hold tolerances. Using aluminium with light oil for cooling meant all machines and fittings stayed clean and shiny. Piston ring dept seemed to make masses of scrap rings to keep profits down. All the various factories in the entire area were demolished to make way for the huge motorway interchange."[6]


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
  2. 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
  3. The Times, Aug 08, 1962
  4. 1963 Motor Show
  5. The Times Aug 16, 1967
  6. Personal account by Rose White (25/08/2016)