Albion Motor Co

January 1920.

January 1920. 32 hp model.

January 1920. 32 hp 4-ton model.

1934 Albion 40-50 hp CA44. Exhibit at Haynes Motor Museum .

1945.

The Albion Motor Company of Scotstoun, Glasgow was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles.

General

• 1899 / 1901 The company was formed by T. Blackwood-Murray and N. O. Fulton (late of Arrol-Johnston) at Bathgate.

• 1902 Became a private company.

• 1904 The company moved to a large factory at Scotstoun.

• 1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Petrol Motors see the 1917 Red Book

• 1914 Became a public company.

• Name changed.

• 1944 Producing the four-cylinder (68 bhp) and six-cylinder (102 bhp) diesel engines.

• 1951 Acquired by Leyland.

• 1972 The Albion name was discontinued.

Cars

• 1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices see the 1917 Red Book. Listed as the Albion Motor Car Co.

Lorries

• 1905 Produced the A3 model powered by a two-cylinder 16hp engine for the omnibus market.

• 1910 Produced the successful A10 model and made nearly 6,000 for the services.

• 1911 Produced a four-cylinder model for the omnibus market with Forder 24-seat bodies.

• 1935 Acquired the factory used to produce Halley vehicles.

• WW2 Produced 4x4 trucks and 10-ton tank transporters.

• 1947 Recommenced the production of civilian vehicles with the CX range.

• 1955 Produced the Claymore.

Buses

• Albion earned a reputation for solid no-frills engineering. It survived the Depression when rival Halley folded.

• 1900 The first vehicle was produced.

• Before World War I the company had built up a large base of customers for Public Service Vehicle.

• 6,000 A10 lorries were supplied to the war between 1914-1918, and carried on into the 1920s.

• In 1923 the Vikings was invented for up to 18 seats, a low frame height with only one step.

• The first forward-control chassis arrived in 1927, the Viking PM28. Vikings were phased out in 1931-1932.

• By 1933 diesels were an option.

• New Valkyrie models were came back in 1935.

• Valiants were not as popular spanning from 1931 to 1936. They were more powerful than the Valkyrie.

• The Victors were invented around the same time 20-seater 42bhp 3.15 litre engine gaining a 6bhp 3.62 litre unit.

• Victor models lasted till 1939, 30 seats were standard at that time.

• The Venturer arrived late in 1932, a double-decker 6.85 litre petrol engine/ Gardner diesel and seated up to 51 passengers.

• 1937 The Commercial Motor Show launched the first ever CX Series which had the engine and gearbox in one unit.

• For a short time a six-wheeler single decker was introduced a version of the Valkyrie 15 were bought in 1937-1938, seating a total of 39 passengers.

• 1946 The Venturer CX19 double-decker had the option of Albion's own diesel or petrol engines.

• Between 1947 and 1953 Glasgow Corporation were the main buyer of the Venturer, they purchased 138 models.

• 1955 The Nimbus was developed, and had a small underfloor-engined chassis.

• 1963 The Viking was introduced it had a 0.370 Leyland engine at the front, opposite the entrance.

• Vikings and Clydesdales were exported until the 1980s.

Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Buses and Trolleybuses before 1919 by David Kaye. Published 1972
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
• The Modern Diesel edited by Geoffrey Smith. Published by Iliffe & Sons 1944
• 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises: Motor, Motor-Cycle and Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers