Strachan and Brown
Strachan and Brown were an English coach building partnership from 1894 to 1928. The firm was originally founded in 1894 by Walter Brown. In 1896 S A Hughes joined and it became a partnership know as Brown and Hughes. In 1908 James Marshall Strachan joined the partnership with it being renamed Brown, Hughes and Strachan. In the partnership was put into liquidation in 1915. A new partnership with Strachan and Brown was formed that same year.[1][2][3]
Coach building
[edit]The partnership was first involved with the repair and construction of horse drawn coaches. In 1903 the partnership built bodies for Miles-Daimler buses. Their work included the first fully enclosed double-decker bus in the United Kingdom.[3] The partnership also made bodies for various coach built car brands such as those from Lanchester Motor Company and Delaunay-Belleville. It continued its coach building until 1928 using Albion Motors chassis.[1][2]
Aberdonia
[edit]
In 1911 Strachen made a mid-engined car under the Aberdonia brand called the Park Royal. The prototype was displayed at the 1911 London Motor Show. It was forward-control with the driver seated ahead of the engine. The car was manufactured in Park Royal, London from 1911 to 1915 by the coachbuilders Brown, Hughes and Strachan.[4] It was powered by a 3160 cc, 4-cylinder, side valve unit rated at 20 hp for taxation purposes. It cost £500 with seven-seated touring coachwork, or £700 with "special landau body". The partnership also made a two seat cabriolet.
A prototype stretcher carrier, using the Aberdonia chassis, was made in September 1914 with the outbreak of World War One. [1] Production then moved to primarily making ambulances. It also made vehicles with mobile washing and bathing facilities and field kitchens . In order to meet the war time demand Brown, Hughes & Strachan left its traditional facilities in Kensington at the end of 1914 and moved into a new 12,000 m² (3 acres ) site in the London district of Park Royal.[3]
Fire
[edit]In April 1915, the new facilities were completely destroyed by fire. Brown, Hughes & Strachan was then forced to cease operations and was liquidated in 1916.[3]
Aircraft
[edit]The company built aircraft at some point during and after the war.[2]
Demise
[edit]In 1928 the partnership was dissolved on 17 October 1928.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Brown Hughes and Strachan, retrieved 19 July 2024
- ^ a b c d Strachan and Brown, retrieved 19 July 2025
- ^ a b c d Nick Walker: A–Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960. Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5, S. 173.
- ^ "News and Comment. | 3rd August 1911 | The Commercial Motor Archive". archive.commercialmotor.com. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
 | This article about an English company is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a brass-era automobile produced between 1905 and 1915 is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England
- Motor vehicle manufacturers based in London
- 1911 establishments in England
- 1915 disestablishments in England
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1911
- Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1915
- British companies disestablished in 1915
- British companies established in 1911
- Cars introduced in 1911
- English company stubs
- Brass auto stubs