Raleigh

GB, 1905; 1916; 1933 – 1936

Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd, Nottingham

Apart from their production vehicles, the Raleigh car company made a number of experimental cars at different times. The firstRaleigh car, in 1905, was designed by T.J. Biggs, formerly of Eastmead & Biggs, and used a 4-cylinder 16hp Fafnir engine. Only one of this Raleigh car was made. Predictably, the Raleigh car company showed an interest in the cyclecar boom, but after experimenting with 2-cylinder engines the Raleigh car settled on a 4-cylinder Alpha unit of 11hp for their shaft-driven light car. Few of these Raleigh cars were made.

In 1922 Raleigh cars built an experimental flat-twin to rival the Rover Eight, but this Raleigh car was never marketed, and it was not until 1933 that the first real production Raleigh car appeared. This Raleigh car was a 3-wheeler using a 742cc V-twin engine, a 3-speed gearbox and shaft drive, known as the Raleigh Safety Seven. The Raleigh car had a full four-seater body, and cost £110. The designer of this Raleigh car was T.L. Williams who subsequently bought the manufacturing rights from Raleigh, and founded the Reliant Motor Company at Tamworth.

US, 1920 – 1922

Raleigh Motors Inc, Reading, Pa.; Bridgeton, N.J.

Probably less than 25 Raleigh cars ever got into the hands of customers. These Raleigh cars were assembled cars with 6-cylinder Herschell-Spillman engines.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG, KM

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