North Downs Engineering Co
of Westway, Caterham
AKA Nordec
Makers of precision automobile components
1946 successor to L. M. Ballamy Ltd; Marcus Chambers became general Manager and Ken Roberts chief designer. The company continued supplying supercharging kits, as well as retaining the rights to some of Ballamy’s patents. It was during this period that the one and only Nordec car was produced.
The company supplied supercharging kits for vehicles (based on the Marshall-Nordec supercharger) as well as retaining the rights to some of Ballamy’s patents.
1947 Around the end of the year, a number of engineers left to form Wade Superchargers, followed soon after by the Chief Designer and then Marcus Chambers, the Manager.
The last member of the senior staff remaining at the company was Works Manager John Wood, who was also a model aircraft enthusiast. Wood developed a 10cc engine based on a US design which was already in use for model flying on control lines. This provided a new line of business for the company (engines in either spark-ignition or glo-plug form).