Albion
Albion Automotive of Scotstoun, Glasgow is a commercial vehicle maker and former Scottish car, now involved within the production and supply of Automotive part systems.
The business is really a subsidiary of Manufacturing & American Axle, and makes driveline apparatus, axles, chassis apparatus, crankshafts and chassis parts now. It's Scotland's best-known name within the motor sector. Albions were celebrated for their motto "Sure as the Sunrise".
History
The factory was initially on the ground floor of the building in Finnieston Street, Glasgow and had just seven workers. In 1903 the business moved to new premises in Scotstoun.
Production continued using the Albion Clydesdale, Chieftain & Reiver trucks and the Albion Viking bus versions, following the British Leyland Motor Company was set up in 1968. In 1969, the business overran the neighbouring Coventry Ordnance Works on South Road, which it continues to manage from.
Since it was thenceforth known back to possession a management buyout in 1993 brought Albion Automotive. A fresh operator, the American Axle & Manufacturing Business (AAM) of Detroit, MI, took over Albion in 1998.
Passenger-car production
In 1900 they assembled their very first motor car, a pastoral-looking dogcart made of varnished wood and driven by a flattwin 8hp engine with equipment-change by "Patent Mix Clutches" and solid tyres.
Among the specialities the business provided was solid-drained shooting-brakes.
Passenger-car production ended in 1915 however in 1920 the firm declared that estate cars were available again according to a little bus chassis, it's not known whether any were really created.
Vehicle models[edit source | editbeta]
Albion 8 (1900 1904) 2080 cc dual-cylinder
Albion 12 (1900 1906) 2659 cc dual-cylinder
Albion 16 (1905 1913) 3141 cc dual-cylinder
Albion 24/30 (1906 1912) 3164 cc 4-cylinder
Albion 15 (1912 1915) 2492 cc 4-cylinder
Commercial vehicle production
It was determined in 1909 to focus in the creation of commercial vehicles, even though the fabrication of motor-cars was the primary business within the first 10 years of its own existence. During World War 1 they assembled for the War Office big amounts of 3 ton trucks driven with a 32 hp engine using chain-drive to the rear wheels. Following the war a lot of these were converted to be used as charabancs.
Bus production
The buses were assembled to the A10 truck chassis with two being sent to West Bromwich in 1914. Newcastle upon Tyne additionally took double deckers for this time, but Albion didn't create a purposebuilt double deck chassis until 1931.
In 1923 the first committed bus chassis was declared produced from the one applied to the 25 cwt truck but with better springing. All the early automobiles was ordinary control, using the engine before the driver however in 1927 the first ahead handle using the engine along with the driver was declared as the Viking enabling 32 seats to be fitted. The very first double deck layout was the Venturer of 1932 with around 51 seats. The CX variant of the chassis was started in 1937 and on those the motor and gearbox were mounted together rather than joined with a different drive shaft. Albion's own variety of diesel engines was also made accessible.
After WW II the range was increasingly modernised and underfloor engined models were launched with production models from 1955 and two prototypes in 1951 with the Nimbus.
Using the Leyland take-over the number was reduce. The last Albion double-decker was the 1961 Lowlander and for a Leyland that was advertised in England, and the composition of most was the Viking, reusing an outdated title.
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