Trojan
Trojan of Kingston Works and later of Purley Way, Croydon produced commercial vehicles.
General
1914 Formed as a private company.
1924 Originally designed by L. H. Hounsfield and built by Leyland Motors at its Kingston Works.
1928 Manufacture moved to the Purley works.
1937 New 15cwt model introduced with Bendix-Cowdray brakes.
1937 Manufacturers of aircraft components. [1]
1947 A completely new Senior 12/15cwt van produced with either a two-stroke or Perkins P3V engine. This model continued in production until the company ceased business.
1961 Employed 500 persons. Makers of Trojan motor vehicles and Trokart racing Karts. Manufacturers of Trojan motor vehicles, including small cars, commercial vehicles, aircraft components, agricultural equipment and Trokart racing karts. [2]
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Showed Elva Courier sports models. [3]
Buses
1949 Single deck chassis with 15 feet 3 inch wheelbase
1953 A bus (Trojan DT) on a 7 feet 10 inch wheelbase was built with a Perkins engine
1954 Bus on a 9 feet 6 inch wheelbase and a Perkins 3 engine
1960 Two Trojan coaches were exhibited at Earls Court.
Trobike
Trobike was a motorcycle produced from 1960 to 1965, by the Trojan works in Croydon, Surrey.
This was a mini-bike sold in kit form - thus avoiding purchase tax. Although it could be used for short trips on the road, the intended usage was in factories, on airfields, at race meetings, on big estates or any other large private area.
It had a 94cc Clinton two-stroke engine with an automatic 'Twist and Go’ centrifugal clutch to take the drive to the rear wheel. This was mounted in a simple frame without suspension, other than fat 5-inch tyres. It did around 30mph and 90-odd miles to the gallon.
This type of machine was fairly popular in the USA - less well-liked in the UK, it had but a short life. The company made approximately 550 of these machines.
- Note: Extensive information can be found by clicking the following link to the Trojan Museum Trust web site. [1]
See Also
Sources of Information
- British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
- 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises: Motor, Motor-Cycle and Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers
- 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
- [2] Motorbase web site - 1961 Trojan Trobike
- [3] Vintage Bike web site