Albion Motor Car History


Former type	Limited
Industry	Automotive industry
Fate	acquired by Leyland Motors
Predecessor(s)	Albion Motor Car Company
Successor(s)	Leyland Motors (1951) Leyland DAF (1987-1993) American Axle & Manufacturing (1997)
Founded	1899
Founder(s)	Thomas Blackwood Murray, Norman Osborne Fulton, John Francis Henderson.
Defunct	marque defunct 1980
Headquarters	Glasgow, Scotland
Number of locations	Scotstoun, Bathgate
Products	Commercial vehicle components

Albion Automotive of Scotstoun, Glasgow is a former Scottish automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, currently involved in the manufacture and supply of Automotive component systems.

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 slogan "Sure as the Sunrise".

Crown Prince of siam Albion 8hp Car

History

Originally known as Albion Motor Car Company Ltd, the company was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton (both of whom had previously been involved in Arrol-Johnston) they were joined a couple of years later by John F Henderson who provided additional capital. 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.

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, production continued with the Albion Chieftain, Clydesdale & Reiver trucks and the Albion Viking bus models. Production of these was then moved to the Leyland plant at Bathgate in 1980. In 1969, the company took over the neighbouring Coventry Ordnance Works on South Street, which it continues to operate from.

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.

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.

Tthe first commercial vehicle, the Model A.2 10-cwt. van with an 5-h.p. engine and tiller steering, appearing in 1902. Albion then introduced a 3115 cc 16 hp vertical-twin, followed in 1906 by a 24 hp four. One of the specialities the company offered was solid-tired shooting-brakes. The last private Albions were powered by a 15 hp monobloc four of 2492 cc.

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

24 hp Albion

Commercial vehicle production

Albion Lorry

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 32 hp engine using chain drive to the rear wheels. After the war many of these were converted for use as charabancs.

The first commercials built by Albion Motor Car Co, Glasgow, Built for payloads in excess of 1 ton were variations of the company'sA 3, powered by a 16hp vertical twin-cyl petrol engine. Up to 1914, this Was listed for payloads of up to 2 tons, a special feature which was to become standard Albion practice for some years being an adjustable governor controlling air, throttle and ignition timing through a single lever.
One of the company's most famous trucks, introduced in 1910, was the chain-drive 32hp 4-cyl which was built until 1926. This had a single-plate clutch and a high-tension magneto. The first "live" axle Albion arrived the fol- lowing year, another new model being a 25hp chassis for 2-ton pay-loads, a 25-seat charabanc version of which was exhibited at the 1913 Scottish Motor Show. Later, the A1O was adopted by the Armed Forces as a 3-ton load-carrier and some examples saw service during World War l.
A new 24hp '*subsidy" model, at 1 1/2 tons capacity, was announced in 1923 and a number of fully mounted bodies. Passenger model called Model 26, later known as the Viking.
The first Albion to carry a model name was the 'Viking-Six', a 90hp 6-cyl passenger design, announced in 1926 and joined in 1927 by a un-named forward-control 4-tonner known simply as the Model 35, in which day-to-day servicing was undertaken from within the cab. By removing a few bolts, the cab could be raised by block and tackle to provide clearer access. A bonneted military 6- wheeler with double-drive bogie, single worm-reduction axles, plate clutch and four-speed box with optional splitter, was an- nounced the following year, the chassis being specially unusual in that it had a dropped forward section to provide for cab and bonnet.

The company was re-named Albion Motors Ltd in 1930, new models for 1931 including the 6-cyl 'Valiant' 32-seater and its 4-cyl sister, the 'Valkyrie'; the 'Victor' 20-seater; and a new 2-tonner. The Model 127 5 1/2-tonner, under 2 1/2 tons unladen and thus able to operate legally in the UK at up to 48 km/h, appeared in 1935 along with a 13-ton double-drive 6- wheeler and a 6-wheeled version of the 'Valkyrie'. Later that year, Halley Industrial Motors Ltd was acquired, its premises at nearby Yoker proving most useful during World War Il and many of the old Halley model names were revived as Albions after the war. During the mid-1930s Gardner diesel engines were options to the Albion petrol range but an Albion diesel was soon developed and by 1937 a rigid 8-wheeled goods model called the CX7, with Albion petrol or Gardner diesel engine, had been announced, followed in 1938 by the CX27 "Chinese SIX the first British goods model for an 11-ton gross load conforming to maximum axle loading and minimum length restrictions. Many thousands of 3-ton 4 x 4s, 10- ton 6 x 4s and bonneted tractors were produced during World War II other types including a twin-engined 8 x 8 prototype and the FT15N low-silhouette 6 x 6 artillery tractor. The 'Chieftain' truck was the first post-war civilian model, followed by the 'Clansman' and, in 1950, the 'Clydesdale', the names of the first two originating at Halley. Leyland Motors Ltd acquired the business in 1951, bringing development of a 39-seat single-deck bus with flat underfloor. 8-cyl diesel engine tb a halt and leading to all Albions em-
ploying an increased percentage of Leyland components.
By 1955 the 4/5-ton under- floor-engined 'Claymore' for goods or passenger work had been announced and was soon to become Britain's most popular underfloor engine commercial.The 8-wheeled 'Caledonian', looking deceptively like Leyland's 'Octopus', arrived in 1958 for a payload of 161/2 tons, incorporating a double-drive bogie, rocking-beam suspension, 8-wheel brakes and a Leyland 0.680 diesel engine. By 1960 the Leyland 'Vista-Vue' cab was common to a number of Albions and was even retained on certain 6-wheeled 'Reiver' models long after Leyland's 'Ergomatic' tiltcab had appeared on the 'Super Clydesdale' in 1964. The use of hub-reduction axles with virtually unbreakable half-shafts was popular with Albion customers,and these were still fitted to both 'Reiver' and 'Clydesdale' long after the Albion name was replaced
by Leyland in 1972.

The front engine double-decker of 1961 was a variation on the Leyland 'Titan PD3 with a low-loading chassis frame, while the 1966 Commercial Motor Show saw a special 4 version of the 'Chieftain'in association with Scammel Lorries Ltd. From 1969 turbo charged Leyland diesel engines were available in certain 'Reiver and 'Clydesdale' models, but from 1972 all Albions carried the Leyland brand name but were marketed variously as Leyland Scotstoun and Leyland Clydeside.

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 the A10 truck chassis with two being delivered to West Bromwich in 1914. Newcastle upon Tyne also took double deckers around this time, but Albion did not produce a purpose-built double deck chassis until 1931.

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 30/60 hp engine and wheelbases from 135 inches (3,400 mm) to 192 inches (4,900 mm) 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.

After World War 2 the range was progressively modernised and underfloor engined models were introduced with two 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 (3.28 m) to 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 m) 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.
KP71NW (1951) Underfloor engined chassis with horizontally-opposed eight cylinder engine; 2 built.
Nimbus (1955–1963) Underfloor engine.
Aberdonian (1957–1960) Underfloor engine.
Royal Scot (1959) 15.2 litre underfloor engined 6x4 dirt-road bus. 20 built for South African Railways.
Victor VT (1959–1966) Front engined, derived from Chieftain truck chassis.
Clydesdale (1959–1978) Export model built on truck chassis.
Talisman TA (1959) 9.8 litre front engined 6x4 dirt-road bus. 5 built for Rhodesian Railways.
Lowlander (1961–1966) Double decker. 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) wheelbase. LR7 had air suspension.
Viking VK (1963-1983?) Mainly exported. Leyland O.370 O:400, O:401 engines. VK 41,55 were front engined; VK43,45,49,57,67 models were rear engined, Australian market had optional AEC AV505 engines.
Valiant VL (1967–72) Similar to rear-engined Vikings but with tropical cooling unit as on VK45 and axles from Clydesdale.