Singer (automobile manufacturer)
Singer was a Coventry company that started manufacturing automobiles in 1901.
history
Singer was founded as one of Coventry's many bicycle manufacturers . From 1901 motor tricycles and motorcycles were built. In 1905 the first four-wheeled car was manufactured under license from Lea-Francis , which had a 3-cylinder engine with 1400 cm³ displacement. The first car designed by Singer was the 12/14 hp with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine from 1906. The engine was purchased from Aster . In 1907, the Lea Francis design was abandoned and a range of 2-, 3- and 4-cylinder models powered by White & Poppe engineson. The models with Aster engines were abandoned in 1909 and a new range of larger cars was introduced. Now all cars had White and Poppe engines. The first major sales success appeared in 1911, the Type Ten with a 1100 cm³ engine from our own production. Little by little, all models were converted to self-made engines until, when the First World War broke out, only the 3.3 liter 20 hp had a bought machine.
After the peace treaty, the 10 was manufactured again and subjected to a revision in 1923, which also included a new overhead engine (ohv). Six cylinder models were introduced in 1922. In 1927 the displacement of the 10 grew to 1300 cm³ and a new, small car with an 850 cm³ OHC engine, the later bestseller Junior was announced. In 1928, Singer was the third largest automaker behind Austin and Morris . The range was then expanded in a complex manner, with a further development of the junior ohc engine first starting in the Model 9 , Model 14 and the sporty 1 1/2 liter in 1933. The 9 became the bantam in 1935 .
After the Second World War , the Nine , Super 10 and Super 12 models were initially reissued with small changes, but in 1948 the completely new SM 1500 appeared with an ohc engine and independent front suspension, but still a separate frame. At 799 GBP (then approx. 16,000 DM) it was very expensive and therefore did not sell well, especially since Singer's competitors also resumed full production. In 1954 the model was revised and became the Hunter , which was last available with two overhead camshafts (dohc). Not many were made of this model, however.
In 1956 the company was in financial difficulties and the Rootes brothers, who had been selling Singer vehicles since before the First World War, bought the company. This was the end of the stand-alone Singer constructions. The next model, the Gazelle , was derived from the Hillman Minx - a typical badge engineering product, but kept the Singer-ohc machine until 1958. The last wagons to be named Singer were a luxury version of the Hillman Imp called Chamois and the Rootes-Arrow types Gazelle and Vogue . Following the takeover of the Rootes Group by Chrysler , the Singer automobile brand disappeared for good in 1970.
Models
Models 1906–1916
Type | Construction period | Cylinder / valve control | Displacement |
---|---|---|---|
8/10 hp | 1906 | 2 / sv | 1800 cc |
12/14 hp | 1906 | 2 / sv | 2537 cc |
7/9 hp | 1906-1910 | 2 / sv | 905 cc |
12/14 hp | 1906-1910 | 4 / sv | 1810 cc |
10 hp | 1907 | 3 / sv | 1358 cc |
12/15 hp | 1907 | 4 / sv | 2438 cc |
20/22 hp | 1907 | 4 / sv | 3686 cc |
20/25 hp | 1908-1910 | 4 / sv | 3456 cc |
16 hp | 1909 | 4 / sv | 2497 cc |
16/20 hp | 1910 | 4 / sv | 2799 cc |
20/25 hp | 1910 | 4 / sv | 4714 cc |
15 hp | 1911-1914 | 4 / sv | 2610 cc |
20 hp | 1911-1915 | 4 / sv | 3307 cc |
14 hp | 1913-1914 | 4 / sv | 2384 cc |
25 hp | 1913-1914 | 4 / sv | 4082 cc |
10 hp | 1913-1916 | 4 / sv | 1096 cc |
15.9 hp | 1915 | 4 / sv | 2614 cc |
Models 1919–1949
Type | Construction period | Cylinder / valve control | Displacement | power |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 1919-1923 | 4 / sv | 1097 cc | |
15th | 1921-1925 | 6 / sv | 1991 cc | |
10/25 | 1925-1928 | 4 / ohv | 1308 cc | 26 bhp (19 kW) |
8th | 1926 | 4 / ohv | 847 cc | |
14/34 | 1926-1928 | 6 / ohv | 1776-1792 cc | |
8 junior | 1927-1932 | 4 / ohc | 848 cc | 16.5 bhp (12 kW) |
10 | 1927-1932 | 4 / ohv | 1261 cc | |
Senior | 1928-1929 | 4 / ohv | 1571 cc | |
Six | 1929-1931 | 6 / ohv | 1920 cc | |
Senior Six | 1930-1931 | 6 / sv | 1792 cc | |
9 | 1932-1937 | 4 / ohc | 972 cc | 31 bhp (23 kW) |
9 Sports | 1933 | 4 / ohc | 972 cc | 35 bhp (26 kW) |
14th | 1933 | 6 / ohc | 1611 cc | |
2 liter | 1933 | 6 / sv | 2050 cc | 45 bhp (33 kW) |
12 | 1933-1935 | 4 / sv | 1440 cc | 32 bhp (23.5 kW) |
17.9 | 1934 | 6 / ohc | 2160 cc | |
11 Airstream | 1934-1936 | 4 / ohc | 1584 cc | |
11 | 1934-1937 | 4 / ohc | 1459 cm³ | 39 bhp (29 kW) |
9 Le Mans | 1935-1936 | 4 / ohc | 972 cc | 38 bhp (28 kW) |
1½ liter Le Mans | 1935-1936 | 6 / ohc | 1493 cc | 48 bhp (35 kW) |
Bantam | 1935-1937 | 4 / ohc | 972 cc | 25 bhp (18 kW) |
16 | 1935-1937 | 6 / ohc | 1993 cc | |
Super 10 | 1937-1949 | 4 / ohc | 1193 cc | 37 bhp (27 kW) |
Bantam | 1938-1940 | 4 / ohc | 1074 cc | 30 bhp (22 kW) |
Super 12 | 1938-1949 | 4 / ohc | 1525 cc | 43 bhp (31.6 kW) |
Nine roadster | 1939-1949 | 4 / ohc | 1074 cc | 35 bhp (26 kW) |
Models 1948–1970
Type | Construction period | Cylinder / valve control | Displacement | power |
---|---|---|---|---|
SM 1500 | 1948-1951 | 4 / ohc | 1506 cc | 48 bhp (35 kW) |
Nine 4A / AB | 1949-1951 | 4 / ohc | 1074 cc | 36 bhp (26.5 kW) |
SM 1500 | 1951-1956 | 4 / ohc | 1497 cc | 48–58 bhp (35–42.6 kW) |
Hunter | 1954-1956 | 4 / ohc | 1497 cc | 48–50 bhp (35–37 kW) |
Hunter 75 | 1955-1956 | 4 / dohc | 1497 cc | 75 bhp (55 kW) |
Gazelle I | 1956-1958 | 4 / ohc | 1497 cc | 52.5 bhp (38.6 kW) |
Gazelle II | 1957-1958 | 4 / ohc | 1497 cc | 52.5 bhp (38.6 kW) |
Gazelle IIA | 1958 | 4 / ohv | 1494 cc | 60.2 bhp (44.3 kW) |
Gazelle III | 1958-1959 | 4 / ohv | 1494 cc | 60 bhp (44 kW) |
Gazelle IIIA | 1959-1960 | 4 / ohv | 1494 cc | 64 bhp (47 kW) |
Gazelle IIIB | 1960-1961 | 4 / ohv | 1494 cc | 60 bhp (44 kW) |
Vogue I | 1960–1962 | 4 / ohv | 1592 cm³ | 66 bhp (48.5 kW) |
Gazelle IIIC | 1961-1963 | 4 / ohv | 1592 cm³ | 53 bhp (39 kW) |
Vogue II | 1963-1964 | 4 / ohv | 1592 cm³ | 66 bhp (48.5 kW) |
Gazelle V | 1963-1965 | 4 / ohv | 1725 cc | 57 bhp (42 kW) |
Vogue III | 1964-1965 | 4 / ohv | 1592 cm³ | 78.5 bhp (57.7 kW) |
Chamois I | 1964-1965 | 4 / ohc | 875 cc | 39 bhp (28.7 kW) |
Vogue IV | 1965-1966 | 4 / ohv | 1725 cc | 80 bhp (59 kW) |
Gazelle VI | 1965-1967 | 4 / ohv | 1725 cc | 62.5 bhp (46 kW) |
Chamois II | 1965-1970 | 4 / ohc | 875 cc | 42 bhp (31 kW) |
New Vogue | 1966-1970 | 4 / ohv | 1725 cc | 80 bhp (59 kW) |
New Gazelle | 1967-1970 | 4 / ohv | 1725 cc | 62.5–74 bhp (46–54.4 kW) |
Web links
- Singer Owners' Club USA (English)
- Singer Owners' Club (English)
- Link catalog on the subject of Singer at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ ) (English)