Chalmer & Hoyer

Chalmer & Hoyer was a British coachbuilding company with premises in Poole, Dorset and Weybridge, Surrey. In 1926 the company name changed to the Hoyal Body Corporation.

History

The company was founded in 1921 by a Mr Chalmer, H. Hamilton Hoyer and H. W. Allington with a factory in Hamworthy near Poole and offices at 41 Charing Cross Road, London. The company policy was not to seek individual customers but to deal with volume sales to motor manufacturers. It would achieve this either by providing the maker with bodies or providing extra coachwork designs under its own name.

1926 Morris Oxford with Chalmer & Hoyer coachwork

In 1924 a second factory was opened in Weybridge. A major contract had been agreed with Morris to provide closed bodies for the Oxford model and by 1925 this accounted for the entire output of Weybridge.

The company took a stand at the London Motor Show from 1922 and in 1923 showed a Bentley with Weymann coachwork, being the first British coachbuilder to take out a licence.

In 1926 Morris opened its Pressed Steel factory and moved over to steel bodied cars leaving the Weybridge works with little to do. In the same year the company was renamed as the Hoyal Body Corporation taking a brand name they had been using for some time composed of the first letters of Hoyer and Allingham.

1927 Star with Hoyal coachwork

After losing the Morris contract Hoyal concentrated on bus bodies at Weybridge and boat building at Poole. Individual body orders were now also welcomed but the company was losing money and in August 1931 a receiver was appointed and Hoyal closed down.

Aftermath

Two employees purchased some of the equipment and tooling and set up as John Charles & Co near Kew Gardens, London. H. W. Allingham started a company called Vehicle Developments and designed standard pressed steel body parts for cars.