Straker-Squire of Angel Road Works, Edmonton
1901 The Straker Steam Vehicle Co was formed by Sidney Straker and Lionel Robert Littler Squire[1] and built steam vehicles. Two of the first were for the British Electric Traction Co.
1903 A single-decker was built for a service to Stratford-upon-Avon.
1903 The company commenced selling German built Bussings in the UK. The demand was so great that the company had to change premises in Bristol.
1905 January. Details of their petrol omnibuses and commercial vehicles.[2][3]
1905 A 24hp Straker-Squire double-deck omnibus took part in Automobile Club trials[4]
1905 Vehicles by Straker and Squire and Straker Steam Vehicle Co were shown at the Olympia Exhibition[5]
1906 The Straker Steam Vehicle Co's name was changed to Sidney Straker and Squire Ltd[6] [7]
1906 Details of their 25 hp 'C.S.B.' touring car. The cars are being built in France by Cornilleau et Sainte Beuve (C.S.B.).[8][9]
1907 A Straker-Squire car was second in a race at Brooklands[10]
1908 Sidney Straker and Squire advertised Straker-Squire cars as "All British"[11]
1908 November. Details of the 14-16hp car shown at Olympia.[12][13]
1909 November. Details of the 15-hp car - the only one for 1910.[14]
1910 October. Details of the 15-hp car.[15]
1911 May. Details of the 15-hp car.[16]
1912 January. Details of the 15-hp car.[17]
1912 November. Details of the 15-hp car.[18]
1913 November. Details of the 15-20hp car.[19]
1913 Brazil, Straker and Co manufactured the cars for Straker-Squire; they had erected a new factory at Fishponds to make Straker-Squire chassis; specials were made at the Nelson Sq. premises[20]
1913 Straker-Squire (1913) Ltd was founded to acquire as a going concern the business of Sidney Straker and Squire, makers and traders in motor vehicles. Products included:[21]
- 15 hp Straker-Squire car
- Straker-Squire public service cars
- Straker-Squire brewers's lorries and vans
- Straker-Squire ambulances, lorries
- Straker-Squire railway delivery vans.
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Cars see the 1917 Red Book
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Steam Motor Wagons, Tractors and Ploughs etc. see the 1917 Red Book
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Petrol Motor Commercial Vehicles see the 1917 Red Book
1914 Automobile engineers. Specialities: 15 hp motor cars and silent commercial motor vehicles. [22]
WWI Made Rolls Royce Falcon aero-engines under licence
Post-WWI: Built a car engine on the same lines as the Falcon. Initially it had a worm and wheel drive to the single overhead camshaft, but this was soon changed to a bevel drive.
After WWI a new design of car was launched - the 'A' type. It had a four-cylinder monobloc engine of 55 bhp, a four-speed gearbox and was of semi-forward-control layout.
1919 Purchased the National Aircraft Engine Factory at Edmonton; all of the production facilities were transferred there, where the company would build 2 standard car models[23]
1919 March. Article about the 20-25 hp six-cylinder engine. [24]
1920 October. Exhibited at the Commercial Motor Exhibition at Olympia with a gully-clearing tank wagon. The chassis was the maker's standard 5-ton 'A' model. [25]
1920 November. Exhibited at the Motor Car Show at Olympia and the White City with a six-cylinder 20-25 hp engine car. [26]
1922 Directors: Sidney Straker (Managing), Kenneth Fisher, J. W. Beeby. Employees: 980.
1925 the company went into receivership and again in 1926.
1927 The directors indicated that the company could be kept going if new capital was injected[27]
Models
- Straker-Squire: PA 24/90 hp car
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Feb 24, 1915
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1905/01/14
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1905/01/21
- ↑ The Times, Jan 09, 1905
- ↑ The Times, Feb 13, 1905
- ↑ The Times, Feb 24, 1915
- ↑ The Times, Apr 11, 1906
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1906/10/20
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1906/10/27
- ↑ The Times Jul 08, 1907
- ↑ The Times, Oct 20, 1908
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1908/11/28
- ↑ The Autocar 1908/12/26
- ↑ The Autocar 1909/11/13
- ↑ The Autocar 1910/10/29
- ↑ The Autocar 1911/05/06
- ↑ The Autocar 1912/01/13
- ↑ The Autocar 1912/11/02
- ↑ The Autocar 1913/11/01
- ↑ The Times, Nov 25, 1913
- ↑ The Times, Nov 25, 1913
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Times, Mar 12, 1919
- ↑ The Autocar of 29th March 1919 p429
- ↑ The Engineer of 29th October 1920 p424
- ↑ The Engineer of 19th November 1920 p498
- ↑ The Times, Oct 26, 1927
- Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
- British Car Factories from 1896. Paul Collins and Michael Stratton. Published 1993. ISBN 1 874105 04 9