Invicta (car)
Invicta is a British automobile manufacturer. The brand has been available intermittently through successive decades. Initially, the manufacturer was based in Cobham, Surrey, England, from 1925 to 1933, then in Chelsea, London, England, from 1933 to 1938 and finally in Virginia Water, Surrey, England, from 1946 to 1950. More recently, the name was revived for the Invicta S1 sports car produced between 2004 and 2012.
First incarnation
This manufacturer was founded by
SC and LC Chassis
The first production car, the 1925 2½ litre used a Meadows straight six, overhead-valve engine and four-speed gearbox in a chassis with semi elliptical springs all round and cost from £595. Two different chassis lengths were available, 9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m) SC and 10 feet (3.0 m) LC to cater for the customer's choice of bodywork. As demand grew a lot of the construction work went to Lenaerts and Dolphens in Barnes, London but final assembly and test remained at Fairmile.[3] The engine grew to 3 litres in 1926 and 4½ litres in late 1928.
NLC and A Type Chassis
The larger engine was used in the William Watson designed 1929 4½ litre NLC chassis available in short 9-foot-10-inch (3.00 m) or long 10-foot-6-inch (3.20 m) versions, but the less expensive A Type replaced the NLC in 1930.
S-type
In 1930 the S-type was launched at the London Motor Show.[3] Still using the 4½ litre Meadows engine but in a low chassis slung under the rear axle. About 75 were made.[4]
1½ litre
In an attempt to widen the market appeal the 1½ litre straight-six overhead-cam
Success
Sporting success for Invicta often came via
Cordery was twice awarded the Dewar Trophy, latterly in 1929 for driving 30,000 miles (48,000 km) in 30,000 minutes (20.8 days) at Brooklands, averaging 61.57 mph.[6][7][8] Between February and July 1927 Cordery drove an Invicta around the world, accompanied by a nurse, a mechanic, and an RAC observer. They covered 10,266 miles in five months at 24.6 mph, crossing Europe, Africa, India, Australia, the United States and Canada.[6]
In 1930
End of production
Car production seems to have finished in 1935. Noel Macklin went on to found
1946 revival
The name was revived in 1946 by an organisation calling themselves Invicta Cars of Virginia Water Surrey[11] who began making the Black Prince. Meadows engines were again used, this time a twin overhead camshaft 3-litre six with three carburettors giving 120 bhp. The aluminium-bodied cars – steel supplies were effectively non-existent for new businesses in Britain's new centrally planned economy – were extremely complex and very expensive with a torque converter (Brockhouse Hydro-Kinetic Turbo Transmitter) entirely replacing the gearbox. The torque converter was controlled by a small switch with forward and reverse positions. Suspension was fully independent using torsion bars and there were built-in electric jacks. Other innovative luxury items included a trickle-charger to charge the battery from the domestic mains, an immersion heater in the engine, interior heating of the body and a built-in radio.[12] About 16 were made, 12 of which have survived.[13] The new company lasted until 1950, when it was bought by Frazer Nash makers, AFN Ltd.[5]
1989–date
Invicta Cars Ltd. Company No. 02342199 was registered again in 1989 by Christopher Browning, an Invicta enthusiast who was involved in the restoration and running of Invicta cars designed between 1925 and 1935. The purpose of the company was – and still is today – to record and preserve the heritage of the company name and provide a reference point for all the Invicta cars that are either being restored or are running on the road today.
2004–12
In the early 2000s, the marque was resurrected yet again, producing the Invicta S1, at the Invicta Car Company factory in
The S1 was launched at the 2002 British International Motor Show.[14] The car, designed in cooperation with Chris Marsh & Leigh Adams,[15] was powered by 4.6 L; 280.8 cu in (4,601 cc), producing 320 bhp (239 kW; 324 PS) and with a claimed top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and acceleration to 60 mph in 5 seconds.[16]
A
The car features
In April 2012 Westpoint Car Company, formerly the Invicta Car Company, was
Main models
- 1925–26 2½ litre
- 1926–29 3 litre
- 1928–34 4½ litre
- 1931–35 4½ litre S-Type
- 1932–33 12/45
- 1932–33 12/90
- 1937–38 2½ litre
- 1946–50 Black Prince
- 2004–12 S1
Other Invicta brands
There were earlier but unconnected Invicta companies which made cars in
Buick Invicta was a General Motors product made from 1959 to 1963.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ "No. 33326". The London Gazette. 4 November 1927. p. 7025.
- ISBN 1-870979-53-2.
- ^ ISSN 0955-1328.
- ISBN 1840136359.
- ^ ISBN 1-870979-38-9.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/101214. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ See: Motor Sport, November 1926, Page 168.
- ^ See: Motor Sport, January 1952, Page 21.
- ^ See: Motor Sport, May 1931, Page 334.
- ^ News in Brief. The Times, Wednesday, 4 May 1938; pg. 4; Issue 47985
- ^ Display Advertisement: Invicta. The Times, Friday, 11 Jul 1947; pg. 7; Issue 50810
- ^ A British Gearless Car. The Times, Wednesday, 13 Nov 1946; pg. 3; Issue 50607
- ^ Chapman (2008), p. 53.
- ^ English, Andrew (2002). "Carrying the Can". Auto Express (727): 70–72.
- ^ "Silver dream machine".
- ^ English, Andrew (13 August 2003). "The look of a winner". Auto Express (768): 22–23.
- ^ "2007 Invicta S1 600". automobile-catalog.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- ^ "Invicta goes bust".
Bibliography
- Chapman, Giles (2008) [2001]. The Worst Cars Ever Sold. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-4714-5.