Lea Francis 1 1/2 litre S Type Hyper Sports Two Seater
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Car producer : |
Lea Francis |
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Model: |
1 1/2 litre S Type Hyper Sports Two Seater |
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Year: |
1928-1931 |
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Type: |
Roadster |
Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis started the business in Coventry in 1895. They branched out into car manufacture in 1903 and motorcycles in 1911. Lea-Francis built cars under licence for the Singer Company. In 1919 they started to build their own cars from bought-in components.
Already established as a maker of bicycles of the finest quality, Coventry-based Lea-Francis turned their expertise to motor car manufacture in 1903 followed by motorcycles in 1911. Serious motor car production commenced in 1922 when Lea-Francis offered their C Type model, a light car powered by an 8.9hp Coventry Simplex side-valve engine. The Coventry Simplex engine was soon replaced by a 1,247cc overhead-valve Meadows unit with the introduction of the D Type while two 12/40hp models powered by Meadows' famous 1,497cc 4ED engine were additions to the range for 1926.
From 1922 Lea-Francis had a tie up with Vulcan of Southport sharing manufacturing and dealers. Vulcan supplied bodies to Lea-Francis and in return got gearboxes and steering gear. Two six-cylinder Vulcan designed (and made) cars were marketed as Lea-Francis 14/40 and 16/60 as well as Vulcans. The association finished in 1928 when Vulcan stopped making cars.
More powerful than its predecessors, the 4ED necessitated the introduction of a redesigned chassis, which was longer, wider and equipped with semi-elliptic springing all round, and a stronger, spiral bevel rear axle, both of which arrived in 1927 on the P-Type. The result was one of the finest small sporting cars of the late Vintage period, and the model continues to be raced successfully at VSCC events today.
A sporting image began to appear from about 1925, leading to models such as the Hyper and the Ace of Spades. The Hyper (also called the S-type) was the first British supercharged production car with a 1.5 litre Meadows engine.
The Lea-Francis S Type Hyper Sports was the first 'blown' British production car, distinguished by its attractively sloping radiator and rakish two-seat bodywork. In 1928 the RAC's Tourist Trophy long-distance race was revived at Ards in Ulster where Kaye Don's Lea-Francis won by 13 seconds, beating first-rate opposition from the likes of Alvis, Austin, Bentley, Frazer Nash, Lagonda and Riley.
The company was re-formed in 1937 under the chairmanship of George Leek with other ex-Riley men such as R.H. Rose who designed a new engine for Lea-Francis which had a similar layout to the Riley 12/4. The 12hp and the 14hp (actually 12.9hp) were introduced in 1937 and continued until the start of the war in 1939 when production ceased and the factory concentrated on manufacturing for the war effort.
Post-war car production commenced in 1946 with updated vehicles based on the pre-war designs. The 14hp Saloon and Sports were luxurious and sporty vehicles, and were popular, if expensive. In 1949, the model received a substantial upgrade with the enhanced performance of a 2.5 liter version of the twin cam four cylinder, coupled to twin SUs. Sadly this was not enough to save the brand and only a mere 85 of these fast, stylish roadsters were produced. Eventually an improved chassis with independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes was introduced across the range and in 1950 the 18HP saloon and 2½ litre Sports, both with the more powerful 2½ litre engine, were introduced. Production once again came to a halt in 1954, after not having been present at Earl's Court since 1952.
A number of 14hp Sports chassis were sold to Connaught Engineering where they became the L2 and L3 sports-racing cars. Connaught developed a Formula 2 racing engine for their "A" type single seater which was based on the Lea-Francis design.
A total of almost 10,000 Lea-Francis vehicles were made until production ceased due to the 1960 Lea-Francis Lynx's failings to capture the buying public's attention. Only three Lynxes were made, all prototypes. This was a tube framed 2+2 roadster with a Ford Zephyr 2.6 litre inline-six engine. The example displayed at the British Motor show was famously painted in mauve with gold trim.
