Lloyd Motor Engineering Company of Monument Road, Ladywood, Birmingham.
LMC were motorcycles produced by them 1903 to 1922.
Also see footnote re the start of this business[1]
1903 The first machines were built using the name of the owner, Walter John Lloyd, who was also involved with Quadrant Cycle Co for a time. W. J. Lloyd was a component maker and the early motorcycles were constructed using stock parts from his stores, fitted with Stevens engines. They were typical of the period.
1907 Incorporated as a limited company.
1907 Walter left Quadrant after financial difficulties and started his own business.
1908 By now the machines were being sold as LMC, and their 3.5hp single was joined by a 2.75hp vertical twin, devoid of cooling fins. Cooling was meant to be from the flow of air between the separate cylinders. Although the company claimed that overhearing was not a problem, that engine was not seen again.
1912 A larger single was added.
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of motorcycles see the 1917 Red Book
1914 Two-speed gearing was used.
1914 Listed as motor cycle manufacturers. Speciality: LMC motorcycles. [2]
1915 A V-twin model joined the range. For an extra two pounds one could have the firm’s own LMC two-speed countershaft gearbox. A three-speed S.A. countershaft gearbox was six pounds more expensive.
1916 Other transmission options were offered, including a counter-shaft gearbox.
1919 After the end of World War I, the make returned with a 597cc single and an 842cc V-twin, both with three-speed gearbox.
1920 Only the twin was offered, but it was also available in overseas form with a larger tank and different suspension.
1921 A 960cc V-twin joined the smaller, both had all-chain drive, but there was an option of belt for the 842cc.
1922 These two ran on for the year and then production ceased.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ There were two Lloyd brothers who were partners in Quadrant Cycle Company founded c1880. W.A. (William) Lloyd and W.J.(Walter) Lloyd. As a result of disputes at Quadrant with fellow Director, Tom Silver, in 1903 William Lloyd left the company and formed his own business called W. A. Lloyd Cycle Fittings located at Freeman Street Birmingham and made cycle fittings under the W.A. Lloyd logo and produced a few motorcycles named Lloyd. In 1907 there were further disputes at Quadrant with Tom Silver, and Walter Lloyd as well as some staff left Quadrant. Walter Lloyd then in June 1907 proceeded to form his own business Lloyd Motor Engineering Ltd located at 132 Monument Road, Birmingham and made his own motorcycles under the logo L.M.C. Walter Lloyd also sold parts for other makes notably engines to the first Royal Ruby “cob’ model. He also along with his factory manager formed another company called Overseas Motor Company Ltd that made bikes identical in all respects to the LMC but used a traditional Druid forks instead of the Walter Lloyd designed leading link forks he used on the LMC range. For your reference I refer you to the well-researched article by the noted motorcycle historian Bob Currie titled “When Walter Went It Alone” in the April 1988 edition of The Classic Motorcycle magazine. Sadly the mix-up of the brothers businesses appears to go back to the book by Erwin Tragatsch “the Worlds Motorcycles 1894-1963” published in 1964. As an owner of LMC motorcycles for over 60 years and having met the VMCC of the UK archivist in 1962 and been introduced to people who had family links back to Lloyd I can assure you that no LMC bikes were made W.J. (Walter) Lloyd before 1907 and any bike made before that with a Lloyd logo was made by W.A. (William) Lloyd. (Ref: 20210121 IB. Owner of LMC motorcycles)
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 674 X
- [1] Yesterday's Antique Motorcycles web site