WA Arnold & Co.

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Advertisement by WA Arnold & Co. (1935)
Bentley 3½ liter airline with Arnold body (1934)
Bentley 4¼ liter convertible with Arnold body (1937)

WA Arnold & Co. (also: Arnold of Manchester ) was a British manufacturer of automobile bodies , which from 1910 to 1939 primarily designed and manufactured customized special bodies for high-quality chassis for European automobile manufacturers. The company had predominantly regional importance, but was considered one of the most exclusive British coachbuilders in the period between the world wars.

Company history

The Manchester- based company was founded by William A. Arnold. The first bodies for automobiles were built in 1910. After the First World War , Arnold became the preferred bodywork manufacturer for the local upper class: In the 1920s, wealthy customers from Manchester and the surrounding area did not have their cars clad at London companies, but at WA Arnold. At this time Arnold made bodies for Bentley , Crossley , Daimler , Hispano-Suiza and Lanchester ; from 1931 chassis from Rolls-Royce were also added. Many of the vehicles were dressed as so-called arnaulets , i. H. in a special form of the landaulet .

Arnold's designs were considered elegant, but not overly fashionable. An exception were some two- and four-door bodies for the Bentley 3½ liter , known as Slip Stream or Airline , which were built from 1935 and had a hinted hatchback. With them Arnold took up the growing interest of customers in aerodynamically designed car bodies.

In the 1930s, Arnold diversified the offer. In addition to the individual bodies for very wealthy customers, Arnold now also produced more or less standardized special bodies for British mid-range chassis from the Standard Motor Company (until 1933) and from Humber (until 1939). Here, too, Arnaulet versions were offered.

After the Second World War, Arnold tried to resume the individual production of car bodies, but gave up the project again early on. After that, the company was in the auto trade.

literature

  • Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 .

Web links

Commons : William Arnold coachwork  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Nick Walker: AZ of British Coachbuilders 1919-1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 , p. 76.