Lanchester 10
The Lanchester 10, or Lanchester Ten, is a model of car that was produced by the Lanchester Motor Company intermittently from 1900 until 1951. It was the first production car offered for sale by the company.
Name origins
The name referred to the car’s fiscal horsepower, which was a function of the cylinder diameter. Fiscal horsepower was used in the UK, as in other European countries, by government to determine how much tax they would levy on the cars’ owners. It was differently defined in each country: the common feature was that there was no arithmetical correlation between tax horsepower and actual horsepower.
Fiscal horsepower categories were used to name cars in many parts of Europe until well into the 1950s, and they effectively defined the class within which the car competed. Thus a Lanchester Ten from the 1950s was approximately the same size as the Ford Model C Ten, the Morris Ten, the Standard Ten and a plethora of cars from other manufacturers carrying the "Ten" name during the same period.
Lanchester 10 (1900–1904)
| Lanchester 10 (1900–1904) | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lanchester Motor Company |
| Production | 1900–1904 |
| Designer | Frederick Lanchester |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Individually coachbuilt |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4,033 cc (246.1 cu in) twin-cylinder air-cooled |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93 in (2,400 mm)[1] |
The original Lanchester 10 was introduced in 1900, and was designed by Frederick Lanchester, the eldest of the three Lanchester brothers, while the third brother, George, took responsibility for designing the production processes.
Lanchester Ten (1933–1936)
| Lanchester Ten (1933–1936) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lanchester Motor Company |
| Production | Approx. 12,250 units |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,203 cc (73.4 cu in) (and 1,444 cc (88.1 cu in), 1936 only) four-cylinder overhead valve water-cooled |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 102.5 in (2,600 mm) [1] |
| Length | 157.5 in (4,000 mm) [1] |
| Width | 57.75 in (1,467 mm) [1] |
By the 1930s, Lanchester had been taken over by BSA and its range had been merged with those of BSA cars and its Daimler brand. The Lanchester Ten that appeared in 1933 was based on the BSA 10 and Daimler Fifteen. It incorporated a Daimler fluid flywheel and epicyclic gearbox and, initially, hydraulic brakes.
This was one of the smallest Lanchesters ever produced. It was also the one produced in the greatest numbers, with approximately 12,250 sold.[citation needed]
Lanchester Ten (1946–1951)
| Lanchester Ten (1946–1951) | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lanchester Motor Company |
| Production | Approx. 3,030 units[citation needed] |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,287 cc (78.5 cu in) overhead valve inline-four |
| Transmission | 4-speed with preselector |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 159 in (4,000 mm)[2] |
| Width | 63 in (1,600 mm)[2] |
| Height | 58 in (1,500 mm)[2] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Lanchester Leda |
The Lanchester Ten, also known as the LD10, produced after the Second World War was presented as a compact companion model to the Daimler range, being “craftsman built” and among the smallest ever volume-produced cars from the firm. Initially produced with a steel six light body by Briggs Motor Bodies of Dagenham, later models were fitted with coachbuilt Barker alloy bodywork. Other body variations included an Abbott-bodied drop-head coupe and Hooper-bodied van.[2]
The four-cylinder a claimed power output of 40 bhp (29.8 kW) at 4,200 rpm. This was coupled to an epicyclic preselector 4-speed gear box. Stopping power came from Girling mechanical brakes.[3]
The car was considered to be exceptionally smooth in operation, with reasonable performance for its time.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Culshaw (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-16689-2.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f "Second Hand Car Guide Supplement". Practical Motorist. 6 (68): 768–769. April 1960.
- ^ "Practical Motorist Data sheets. Essential information for cars for which handbooks are unobtainable: Lanchester "10" 1946–1947". Practical Motorist. 6 (65): 468. January 1960.