Swift of Coventry
1919 formerly Swift Motor Co
Company names -
- 1896-1931 Swift Cycle Co
- 1902-1919 Swift Motor Co
- 1919-1931 Swift of Coventry
1919 the Company changed its name to Swift of Coventry Ltd. The Swift Cycle Car company was merged with the main company. Production was concentrated on the four-cylinder 10hp and 12hp models which were renowned for their reliability. The company then joined the new company Harper Bean Ltd[1] which took 50 percent of the shares in Swift of Coventry. Harper Bean planned considerable increase in production by the constituent companies including change to mass production by Swifts but by 1924 Harper Bean was in liquidation without having effected major change in the production of cars[2].
Late 1920's Swift's hand-built cars could not compete with the mass-produced Morris, Austin, and Fords, whose cars sold for only half the price of Swifts.
In spite of producing a cheaper 8hp model, the Cadet, with a Coventry Climax engine and a centre-change three-speed gear box in late 1930, this was insufficient to save the Company and the factory closed its doors for the last time in April 1931.