Day-Leeds
The Day-Leeds was a British automobile manufactured by Job Day & Sons of
William Henry Day was a chartered accountant who in 1886 set up as a manufacturing chemist. With his brothers Albert and Charles they set up the company of Job Day & Sons making engines designed by William Henry and under Albert packaging machinery. It was named after their father Job Day, a Lincolnshire farmer.[2]
In 1912 they made their first car, a
As well as cars a range of motor cycles was also offered with a 499cc single cylinder engine.[2]
For 1914 a completely new and more conventional light car was shown at the 1913 London Motor Show with a four-cylinder 1130 cc engine made by Turner but this was soon replaced by a 1286 cc water cooled side valve engine made by themselves.[1] The engine was designed by W L Adams of the Laxtonia Engineering Works of Peterborough who also designed a World War I aero engine. The car had semi elliptic leaf springs, rear wheel only brakes and a wheelbase of 7 feet 9 inches (2,360 mm) and a track of 3 feet 9 inches (1,140 mm).[3] Drive was to the rear axle through a cone clutch, separate three speed gearbox and torque tube.
The model was revived after World War I with electric lighting now fitted. Body types included a two-seat open car and a coupe made by nearby company Lockwood and Clarkson. The price quoted on the UK market in 1919 was £400 for the open two seater and this seems to have been uncompetitive as the price was progressively reduced to £225 when production ceased in 1926. It is thought that around 300 cars were made in the post war period.[4]
Only two cars are thought to survive, one in England and the other in Australia showing that some cars were exported.[2]
Production of packing machinery continued with the company being absorbed by the Baker Perkins company.[1]
Models
Model | Years | Cylinders | Capacity | Wheelbase | Weight | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8.9 | 1912–1913 | V-twin | 998 cc | 5.5 cwt (280 kg) | ||
10 | 1914 1919-24 | four | 1286 cc | 7 ft 9in (2362) mm | 14.5 cwt (710 kg) |
References
- ^ ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
- ^ a b c d Worthington-Williams, Michael (March 1995). "The Day-Leeds Story". The Automobile. 13: 42–46.
- ^ ISBN 0-333-16689-2.
- ISBN 1-870979-53-2.