Albion Motors logo

Workers at Albion Motors in 1911

Albion Motors of Scotstoun, Glasgow was a Scottish automobile manufacturer, later it concentrated on building commercial vehicles. Today the company is a subsidiary of American Axle & Manufacturing, and manufactures axles, driveline systems, chassis systems, crankshafts and chassis components. It is Scotland's best known name in the motor industry. Albions were renowned for their superior engineering and reliability; their slogan "Sure as the Sunrise" was known across the globe. ImageMetadata File history File links Albionmotors. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Albionmotors. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Scotstoun is a district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. ... “Glaswegian” redirects here. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English (de facto)1; Gaelic[1]2 and Scots3 (recognised minority... Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile or motor car (usually shortened to just car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... American Axle & Manufacturing (commonly called American Axle or AAM), founded in Detroit, Michigan, is a manufacturer of automobile driveline and chassis systems, as well as forged products. ...

History

Front of an earlier model

Heavy-duty Albion recovery truck

Front of a 1966 Albion Chieftain

Originally known as Albion Motor Car Company Ltd, it was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton (both of whom had previously been involved in Arrol-Johnston). The factory was originally on the first floor of a building in Finnieston Street, Glasgow and had only seven employees. In 1903 the company moved to new premises in Scotstoun. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (768x1024, 755 KB) Dust cart attrbuion - Les Chatfield http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (768x1024, 755 KB) Dust cart attrbuion - Les Chatfield http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 440 pixelsFull resolution (2169 × 1194 pixel, file size: 341 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Albion recovery truck (for Albion Motors article), photographed at Castle Fraser, Scotland. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 440 pixelsFull resolution (2169 × 1194 pixel, file size: 341 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Albion recovery truck (for Albion Motors article), photographed at Castle Fraser, Scotland. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 686 KB) Attribution - Les Chatfield http://www. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 686 KB) Attribution - Les Chatfield http://www. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Arrol-Johnston (later known as the Arrol-Aster) was a Scottish automobile manufactured from 1896 to 1931. ...

The Albion Motor Car Company Ltd was renamed Albion Motors in 1930.

In 1951, Leyland Motors took over. After the British Leyland Motor Corporation was founded in 1968, only two base models, the Albion Clydesdale truck and the Albion Viking bus were continued. Production of these was moved to the Leyland plant at Bathgate in 1980. Leyland Motors is a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries and buses. ... British Leyland corporate logo The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Leyland dropped the Albion name when the company name was changed to Leyland (Glasgow) and later to Leyland-DAF from 1987 when it became a subsidiary of that Dutch concern.

A management buy-out in 1993 brought Albion Automotive as it was thenceforth known back into Scottish ownership. A new owner, the American Axle & Manufacturing Company (AAM) of Detroit, Michigan, took over Albion in 1998. American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

Passenger car manufacturing

In 1900 they built their first motor car, a rustic-looking dogcart made of varnished wood and powered by a flat-twin 8hp engine with gear-change by "Patent Combination Clutches" and solid tyres. A dogcart is: normally, a cart (light wheeled vehicle): either an open, often horse-drawn cart designed to carry hunting dogs in a cage between two cross-seats back to back; the dogs could be penned between the rear-facing seat and the back end. ... BMW motorcycle powered by a flat-twin engine A flat-twin is a two cylinder internal combustion engine where the cylinders are arranged in a flat configuration. ... HP may refer to: Handley Page Aircraft Company Harry Potter, a series of fantasy novels by British writer J. K. Rowling Hello! Project (H!P), a Japanese pop recording project Hewlett-Packard, a computer and computer peripheral company High Point, North Carolina High potency, a term used in biology, pharmacology...

In 1903 Albion introduced a 3115 cc 16hp vertical-twin, followed in 1906 by a 24hp four. One of the specialities the company offered was solid-tired shooting-brakes. The last private Albions were powered by a 15hp monobloc four of 2492 cc.. Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... ...

Passenger car production ceased in 1915 but in 1920 the company announced that estate cars were available again based on a small bus chassis, it is not known if any were actually made.

Car models

• Albion 8 (1900-1904) 2080cc twin-cylinder
• Albion 12 (1900-1906) 2659cc twin-cylinder
• Albion 16 (1905-1913) 3141cc twin-cylinder
• Albion 24/30 (1906-1912) 3164cc 4 cylinder
• Albion 15 (1912-1915) 2492cc 4 cylinder

Commercial vehicle production

Although the manufacture of motor cars was the main industry in the first ten years of its existence, it was decided in 1909 to concentrate on the production of commercial vehicles. During World War 1 they built for the war Office large quantities of 3 ton trucks powered by a 32hp engine using chain drive to the rear wheels. After the war many of these were converted for use as charabancs. A charabanc (pronounced sha-ra-bang) is a kind of open-topped bus common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. ...

Trucks and buses (single and double deckers) were manufactured in the Scotstoun works until 1980 (1972 for complete vehicles). The buses were exported to Asia, East Africa, Australia, India and South Africa. Almost all Albion buses were given names beginning with "V", these models being the Victor, Valiant, Viking, Valkyrie, and Venturer.

Bus production

The earliest buses were built on truck chassis with two being delivered to West Bromwich in 1914. The Public by Will Alsop. ...

In 1923 the first dedicated bus chassis was announced derived from the one used on the 25 cwt truck but with better springing. Bodies seating from 12 to 23 passengers were available. A lower frame chassis, the Model 26, with 30/60hp engine and wheelbases from 135 inches to 192 inches joined the range in 1925. All the early vehicles had been normal control, with the engine in front of the driver but in 1927 the first forward control with the engine alongside the driver was announced as the Viking allowing 32 seats to be fitted. Diesel engines, initially from Gardner, were available from 1933. The first double deck design was the Venturer of 1932 with up to 51 seats. The CX version of the chassis was launched in 1937 and on these the engine and gearbox were mounted together rather than joined by a separate drive shaft. Albion's own range of diesel engines was also made available. L Gardner and Sons Ltd was a well-known British builder of diesel engines for stationary, marine, road and rail applications. ...

After World War 2 the range was progressively modernised and underfloor engined models were introduced with prototypes in 1951 and production models from 1955 with the Nimbus.

With the Leyland take over the range was cut back. The last Albion double decker was the 1961 Lowlander and that was marketed in England as a Leyland, and the last design of all was the Viking, re-using an old name.

Bus models

• Model 24 (1923-1924) First purpose built Albion bus chassis
• Viking 24 (1924-1932) Various wheelbases from 10 feet 9 inches to 16 feet 3 inches. Front wheel brakes from 1927. Six cylinder engines available in Viking Sixes.
• Valkyrie (1930-1938) Forward control. 5 litre engine, 6.1 litre from 1933, 7.8 litre optional from 1935. Mainly sold as coaches.
• Valiant (1931-1936) Mainly sold to the coach market.
• Victor (1930-1939) Normal or forward control. 20 or 24 seater.
• Venturer (1932-1939) Albions first double decker. 51, later 55 seats. 3 axle version, the Valorous made in 1932, only one produced.
• Valkyrie CX (1937-1950) Engine and gearbox in-unit.
• Venturer CX (1937-1951) Double decker.
• Victor FT (1947-1959) Lightweight single decker
• Valiant CX (1948-1951) Mostly sold to coach operators.
• Viking CX (1948-1952) Mainly sold to the export market.
• Nimbus (1955-1963) Underfloor engine.
• Aberdonian (1957-1960) Underfloor engine.
• Victor VT (1959-1966) Front engined
• Clydesdale (1959-1978) Export model built on truck chassis.
• Lowlander (1961-1966) Double decker. 18 feet 6 inch wheelbase. LR5 and LR7 had air suspension.
• Viking VK (1963-1983?) Mainly exported. Leyland O.370 engine. VK43 model was rear engined.

Automotive components production

A complete change of profile went on in 1980. Since then, only automotive components, such as rear axles, have been produced. An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. ...

Firearms production

During World War II, Albion Motors manufactured Enfield No 2 Mk I* revolvers to aid the war effort. By 1945, 24,000^[1] Enfield No 2 Mk I* revolvers were produced by Albion (and subsequently, Coventry Gauge & Tool Co.) Enfield No. ...

References

^ Michael Sedgwick, "Albion", in G.N. Georgano, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars 1885-1968 (New York: E.P. Dutton and Co., 1974), pp.32. Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ...

See also

• Alba
• Albion

Alba is the ancient and modern Gaelic name (IPA: ) for the country of Scotland (also Alba in Irish, and in Old Gaelic Albu). ... The white cliffs of Dover. ...

External links

• Transport Diversions Emporium - ALBION ALBUM 1899-1999
• American Axle & Manufacturing (Albion Automotive)
• The Albion Clubs website