Commer

1913. Exhibit at the Oxford Bus Museum.

1913. Exhibit at the Oxford Bus Museum.

1918.

January 1920.

1939. Pug.

March 1939. 8Cwt.

1945. 15Cwt.

1955. Commer Express Van. 1,100cc.

1955. Commer Express Van. 1,100cc.

1957. Commer Karrier.

1958. Commer 95A.QX 5-ton. Reg No YUE 957.

1959. Commer Karrier Fire 4,752cc. Reg No GJM 447.

1963. Commer Karrier Gamecock 4,500cc. Reg No UFX 157.

1964. Commer Superpoise MkIV. Reg No ARU 350B.

Exhibit at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum.

1966. Reg No EVE 247D.

Commercial Cars Ltd were a producer of commercial vehicles from 1907 to 1976.

General

• 1905 Company founded as Commerical Cars Ltd.

• Factory opened in Luton, producing trucks.

• 1907 Founded and the name abbreviated to Commer. Built with the Lindley epicyclic pre-selector gearbox.

• 1911 Became a private company called Centaur Co Ltd.

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

• WW1 Produced some 3,000 model RC 4-ton models.

• 1926 Taken over by Humber cars and they renamed their Centaur Co as Commer.

• 1928 November. Hillman, Humber and Commer combine. Head of new concern will be Lieut-Col. J. A. Cole (MD of Humber), Captain S. Wilkes (Joint MD of Hillman) and Captain J. Black (Joint MD of Hillman). Also on board are S. Brotherhood and Sir Henry McMahon.

• WW2 Produced some 20,000 vehicles. A move from Luton to nearby Dunstable was made.

• 1948 New range launched with 5ton and 7ton payloads.

• 1953 A two stroke diesel marketed with two horizontally opposed piston in each of the three cylinders.

• 1961 Introduced successful 1.5 / 5ton delivery van.

• 1966 Entered heavier market with a 16ton gvw chassis and cab.

• 1964 Chrysler bought in to Rootes Group.

• 1973 Chrysler gain full control of the company.

• 1976 The name was discontinued.

• 1979 The company was sold to the Peugeot-Citreon group.

Cars

• The first chassis was developed around a gearbox called the Lindley.

• In 1907 the company offered passenger carrying chassis.

Buses

• Commer were based in Luton and were part of the Rootes Group.

• The first double-decker arrived in 1909.

• New models were introduced in the 1920s so there wasn't demand for the Lindley gearbox.

• After 1926 the Lindley was no longer fitted.

• From 1922 the company hit a postwar slump and was run by a receiver and manager.

• In 1926 the company was sold to Humber and later the name was changed to Commer Cars.

• In 1930 Commer only offered 20 or 26-seat models with normal control.

• In 1939 the new Superpoise series was designed. It had a semi-forward control layout. Diesel and petrol engines were offered, and a choice of wheelbases from 20 to 32 seats.

• From 1946 to 1949 Commer's first postwar chassis was built called the Commando over 1,300 of these were made.

• They were popular with the Royal Air Force.

• 1954 Commer were offering a new diesel engine, the TS3 in the Avenger III.

• The TS3 was a small 3.26 litre with three-cylinder two stroke with supercharging horizontal cylinders.

• 1960s The 1500-series van used as a minibus was launched.

• 1961 Listed as a subsidiary of Humber.

• 1961 Manufacturers of commercial vehicles and motor coaches.

• 1964 Crossville purchased two vans.

• 1976 The vans were re-badged as Dodge (qv) when Rootes Group were taken over by Chrysler.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
• Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5