• Sunbeam Motor Car Co Ltd

In 1887 John Marston Ltd, japanware manufacturers of Wolverhampton (est.1859), began to manufacture safety bicycles called ‘The Sunbeam’. In 1888 the Sunbeam name was registered and the firm’s Paul Street works became known as Sunbeamland. In 1899 John Marston Ltd built its first Sunbeam motor car and in 1905 The Sunbeam Motor Car Co Ltd was formed, with a starting capital of £40,000, to focus on car production as distinct from its interests in the production of cycles. John Marston was chairman. Cars were made at Moorfield Works, off Villiers Street, with satellite factories at Owen Road, Temple Street, and Ablow Street, where components including radiators were made. In 1909 engineer Sydney Guy (who would set up Guy Motors in 1914) became works manager and Louis Coatalen chief engineer. The company’s capital was increased in 1911 and car sales rose due to the success of Sunbeam motor cars in races in France and in 1912 the firm began making motor cycles. From 1912 Louis Coatalen experimented with aero-engines, basing the design on his successful three-litre racing car, and Sunbeam manufactured its first aero engine in 1914. During the First World War many of Sunbeam’s aero-engines were designed and built to the order of the Admiralty for the Royal Naval Air Service and some were exported. Initially these aero-engines were referred to as Sunbeam-Coatalens. In 1917 John Samuel Irving joined the company as chief engineer from the Royal Aircraft Factory. Sunbeam Motor Car Co also built 647 complete aeroplanes at Moorfield works in Wolverhampton, including Avro 504Ks and Short Brothers aircraft. In 1917 Sunbeam designed and built its own prototype bomber with a 200hp Arab engine, although the project was soon abandoned. In the late 1920s Coatalen designed the Sikh III airship engine which never went into production. Although Sunbeam aero engines were never commercially successful the firm was one of the first to build aluminium single-block engines, a design that was not common until the 1930s.

John Marston and one of his son’s died in 1918 and the following year the company raised additional capital of £350,000. However, it was facing death duties and in 1920 John Marston’s son, Charles, sold his shares in John Marston Ltd which was acquired by Kynoch Ltd, part of Nobel Industries. In 1920 A Darracq (1905) Ltd bought Sunbeam Motor Car Co. The previous year it had also acquired London motor manufacturer Clément-Talbot Ltd and going forward both Sunbeam and Clément-Talbot retained their separate identities with Darracq providing centralised buying, selling, administration and advertising departments.  Later in 1920 A Darracq (1905) Ltd changed its name to S T D Motors Ltd, the three initials representing Sunbeam, Talbot and Darracq. In the 1920s car production was at its height and later that decade the company began development of an electric trolley bus design. However, financial difficulties arose in the early years of the 1930s recession and in 1934 a receiver was appointed for both Sunbeam and Automobiles Talbot France. In 1935 Rootes Securities bought Sunbeam Motor Car Co and its Sunbeam commercial vehicles department.