Recently the Heritage Trust was able to purchase part of a pictorial collection created by Bryan Goodman. The portfolio contains pictures of Armstrong Siddeley and Armstrong Whitworth cars. It is our intention to highlight two or three of these photos each 'jottings' over the next few weeks.
The first Armstrong automobile, an 8hp was manufactured from 1902 and earned a reputation as a superb hill climber.
From 1904 vehicle production came under Armstrong Whitworth. At this time they acquired a small company named Wilson Pilcher who had developed a motorcar which Armstrong Whitworth continued to manufacture bearing the Wilson Pilcher name till 1906.
1906 also saw the first all Armstrong Whitworth car, rated 28/36hp, water cooled, having a 'T' head side-valve, oversquare, engine of 4.5 litres, with power transferred through a four speed gearbox and shaft drive
.
Armstrong Whitworth produced cars till the outbreak of WWI, after which in 1919 with the formation of Sir W.G Armstrong Whitworth Development Company and it's subsidiary Armstrong Siddeley Motors, all Automotive and Aeronautical interests were transferred to the care of this new company.
The Armstrong Whitworth car in the picture above is a 1909 40hp.
This circa 1926 Armstrong Siddeley 30hp car was photographed at the John o' Groats Hotel, Caithness.