Straker-Squire

GB, 1906 – 1926

(1) S. Straker & Squire Ltd, Fishponds, Bristol, 1906 – 1918

(2) Straker-Squire Ltd, Edmonton, London N., 1918 – 1926

The first road vehicles of Sidney straker and L.R.L. Squire were steam wagons, made from 1901, followed by petrol buses. During 1906 Straker acquired the licence to make the Cornilleau-Ste Beuve car from France as the 25hp Straker-Squire- CSB. By mid-1907 a straightforward four Straker Squire car of 16/20hp was being offered under the name of Straker Squire cars. Late that year, a smaller 12/14hp Straker Squire car was added. It was the Straker Squire car company’s first wholly home-grown model, and was at first called a Shamrock, not a Straker-Squire car. The best-known of the pre-World War 1 Straker-Squire cars was certainly the 15hp Straker Squire car of 1910 – 1914, a sporting 3-litre with a 4-cylinder, sv engine and an excellent performance, this Straker Squire car was designed by AHR Fedden. In 1919 a completely new and in some respects very modern Straker Squire car was announced. This Straker Squire car was also a 6-cylinder machine with a capacity of 4-litres, still designated the 20/25hp, but this Straker Squire car had a single overhead camshaft and aluminium pistons, and to ease manufacturing problems, its cylinders were separately cast. The valve gear of the Straker Squire car was exposed. The whole unit of the Straker Squire car resembled the Rolls-Royce Eagle aero engine the Straker Squire car company had made during World War 1. In spite of an old-fashioned appearance, this was a powerful, if noisy engine that gave the Straker Squire car an 80mph performance. Brakes and steering of this Straker Squire car were suitably good. Unfortunately, even when the Straker Squire car went into production in 1921, as the 24/90hp, very few of these Straker Squire cars were made. The pre-war 15hp Straker Squire car was resurrected, and for 1923, a dull little light Straker Squire car with a 1½-litre ohv Dorman engine was added. By 1926 only the 24/90 and the light car remained, both Straker Squire cars came with hydraulic 4-wheel brakes.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN  

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