Cross & Ellis

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Cross & Ellis
legal form Limited Company
founding 1919
resolution 1938
Reason for dissolution insolvency
Seat Coventry , UK
management Alf Ellis, Harry Cross
Branch Body shop

Cross & Ellis (also: C & E) was a British coachbuilder that manufactured automobile bodies in the first half of the 20th century. The company was one of the numerous suppliers who produced more or less standardized car bodies on behalf of series manufacturers. Cross & Ellis had a close business relationship with Alvis Cars , whose preferred bodywork manufacturer the company was at times.

Company history

Alvis Firebird with touring body from Cross & Ellis
Alvis Speed ​​20A with sports car body from Cross & Ellis

Cross & Ellis was founded in 1919 by Alf Ellis and Harry Cross. Both had previously worked for the Daimler Motor Company . Their joint company was based in the industrial city of Coventry in central England .

In the first few years Cross & Ellis manufactured sidecars for motorcycles, but also horse-drawn vehicles . In 1921 Cross & Ellis received their first order from Alvis. It was aimed at producing standardized tourer bodies for the Alvis 10/30 . The relationship continued with the successor 12/50 introduced in 1923 . In 1924 Alvis became insolvent after years of underfunding. An insolvency administrator saved the company, but the creditors had to forego most of their claims. This also affected Cross & Ellis Ltd., which at the time was Alvis' largest single creditor. Cross & Ellis then maintained the business relationship with Alvis, but also made contact with Lea-Francis , whose chassis also received standardized Cross & Ellis bodies from the mid-1920s. In 1931 Lea-Francis was also insolvent; again Cross & Ellis lost a large part of its claims against its client. In the following years the company looked for new clients. To this end, Cross & Ellis now regularly presented themselves with their own stands at British motor shows. Since the mid-1930s, bodies have been made for mid-range chassis from Hillman , Humber , Triumph , Vauxhall and Wolseley . In addition to the standardized bodies, Cross & Ellis also regularly produced individual bodies that were tailored to the needs of the respective customers.

Cross & Ellis competed with up to 20 other bodybuilders or suppliers based in the Coventry region. This made itself felt in a tough price war. In the late 1920s, the company was charging just £ 120 for a full Alvis body. The persistent cost pressure meant that Cross & Ellis could no longer work profitably at the end of the 1930s.

In 1938 the company became insolvent. In the same year it was dissolved due to bankruptcy. The premises were taken over by the newly founded car body manufacturer AP Metalcraft , who worked as a supplier for Alvis until the 1950s.

literature

  • Gillian Bardsley: Vintage Style: Story of Cross and Ellis, Coachbuilders. Brewin Books, 1993, ISBN 1-85858-011-0 .
  • Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Herridge & Sons, Shebbear 2007, ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 .

Web links

Commons : Cross & Ellis  - collection of images, videos and audio files