Darracq Motor Engineering Company

Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited was a London importer, retailer and wholesaler of French-made Darracq and Talbot automobiles, a coachbuilder making regular production runs of bodies for S T D group products and a property holding company on behalf of its parent S T D Motors Limited.

Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited
IndustryAutomotive
FateLiquidated and dissolved after 1935
Founded1 May 1916 (1916-05-01) in London, UK
FoundersA Darracq and Company (1905) Limited
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Areas served
United Kingdom and British Empire except Canada
ProductsMotor bodies, motor importer
OwnersA Darracq and Company (1905) Limited
ParentA Darracq and Company (1905) Limited

In 1935 its assets were sold following the financial collapse of S T D Motors in 1934. The coachbuilding business was bought by the Rootes brothers and lost its separate identity.

Purpose

In 1916 the board of A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited (later S T D Motors) elected to rearrange ownership of its Suresnes, Paris plant and the Darracq distribution system in London. Darracq Motor Engineering was incorporated[1][note 1] to take over their assets located in Britain: 150 Bond Street showrooms, warehouses, service garages etc.,[2] including their Fulham, London Works, at that time making munitions, aircraft and components such as propellors and under the wartime control of the Royal Aircraft Factory.

After incorporation Darracq Motor Engineering Company added to its British assets ownership of the Darracq land in France on which their Suresnes plant was situated. Darracq Motor Engineering then leased it to a new French company, Société Anonyme Darracq, incorporated to hold all the other French assets formerly held directly by A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited.[2]

A Darracq and Company (1905) (soon to be renamed S T D Motors) was then reduced to a non-trading company holding ownership of the various French and British businesses.[2]

Activities
1934 Talbot AX65, body by Darracq

After the 1918 Armistice the Fulham Works once again made motor car bodies for Darracqs and continued to assemble French-sourced components.

After 1920 offices and showrooms in The Vale, Acton at the intersection with Warple Way were shared with W & G Du Cros another group member.

In the expanded combine Darracq Motor Engineering also made bodies for Sunbeam of Wolverhampton and Talbot London.[3] In spite of the manufacturer's name change Darracq Motor Engineering continued to import and sell SA Talbot cars sent from France for sale in Britain and brand them Darracq.[4]

Rootes
1938 Darracq by Figoni et Falaschi

The Rootes brothers folded the coachbuilding portion of this business into Clément-Talbot's In January 1935 and it lost its separate identity.[5][6]

New cars remained available (and service and spares) from D.A.R.A. Co Limited at 1a Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale NW6. Rebadging of SA Talbot cars sent from Suresnes to Britain continued after the dissolution of Darracq Motor Engineering because Clément-Talbot's British business remained active. In 1938 Clément-Talbot's name was changed to Sunbeam-Talbot. After twenty years its products dropped Talbot from their badges in 1954.

Cars manufactured in Suresnes, Paris (1919–1938)
at first badged Talbot Darracq and later Darracq for sale in Britain
1920 Talbot-Darracq 4.6-litre 20hp V8 drophead coupé built in France and branded Talbot-Darracq for distribution from London as well as retailing by Darracq Motor Engineering Company
Information assembled from The Autocar Buyer's Guide and published in Appendix V, Ian Nickols and Kent Karslake, Motoring Entente, Cassell, London 1956
1924 Darracq 12/32 Sport Cloverleaf in Sweden
1936 Talbot Darracq T150C
years name

(French)

 disp cyl's bore /

stroke

 RAC

tax hp

 bhp gear

box

 wheelbase track
1920-1921 20 (A) 4594 V8 75 x 130 27.9 — 4 138 in (3,505 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1920, 1922 16 (V14) 2938 4 85 x 130 17.9 — 4 129 in (3,277 mm) 51 in (1,295 mm)
1921 14 2297 4 75 x 130 14 — 4 129 in (3,277 mm) 51 in (1,295 mm)
1922 8 970 4 57 x 95 8 — 3 96 in (2,438 mm) 47 in (1,194 mm)
1922 12 1460 4 65 x 110 10.5 — 3 118 in (2,997 mm) 49 in (1,245 mm)
1922 27.9 (A) 4594 V8 75 x 130 27.9 — 4 138 in (3,505 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1923 8/18 970 4 57 x 95 8 — 3 97 in (2,464 mm) 47 in (1,194 mm)
1923 12/32 (DC) 1598 4 68 x 110 11.5 — 3 118 in (2,997 mm) 49 in (1,245 mm)
1923 18/36 2938 4 85 x 130 17.9 — 4 129 in (3,277 mm) 51 in (1,295 mm)
1923 20/40 3230 4 89 x 130 19.6 — 4 129 in (3,277 mm) 51 in (1,295 mm)
1923 28/70 4594 V8 75 x 130 27.9 — 4 138 in (3,505 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1924 15/40 (DS) 2121 4 75 x 120 14 — 3 126 in (3,200 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1924-1926 12/32 (DC) 1598 4 68 x 110 11.5 — 3 118 in (2,997 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1926-1927 15/40 2294 4 78 x 120 15.9 — 3 118 in (2,997 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1926-1927 17/75 2540 6 70 x110 18.2 — 3 / 4 132 in (3,353 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1927–1928 12/40 1669 4 69.5 x 110 12 — 4 123 in (3,124 mm) 53 in (1,346 mm)
1927–1928 20/98 2916 6 75 x 110 20.9 — 4 131 in (3,327 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1928 16 (M67) 1999 4 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 127 in (3,226 mm) 54 in (1,372 mm)
1929-1930 16 (M67) 1999 4 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 127 in (3,226 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1929-1930 20 (K74) 2440 6 74 x 94.5 20.4 — 4 127 in (3,226 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1929-1930 20 (T) 2916 6 75 x 110 20.9 — 4 136.5 in (3,467 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1930 30 3823 St8 78 x 100 30.2 — 4 143 in (3,632 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1931 20.9 2504 6 75 x 94.5 20.9 — 4 124 in (3,150 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1931 22.6 2866 6 78 x 100 22.6 — 4 134 in (3,404 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1931–1933 30.1 3823 St8 78 x 100 30.2 — 4 139 in (3,531 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1932 16 (M67) 1999 4 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 126 in (3,200 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1932 20 2504 6 75 x 94.5 20.9 — 4 126 in (3,200 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1932 22 2866 6 78 x 100 22.6 — 4 126 in (3,200 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1932-1933 30 3823 St8 78 x 100 30.2 — 4 143 in (3,632 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1933 16 (M67) 1999 4 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 117 in (2,972 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)
1933-1934 20 2504 6 75 x 94.5 20.9 — 4 117 in (2,972 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1934 16 (L67) 1999 4 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 117 in (2,972 mm) 57 in (1,448 mm)
1934 28 3563 8 75 x 100 27.9 — 4 124 in (3,150 mm) /

138 in (3,505 mm)

 57 in (1,448 mm)
1936–1936 16.7 1999 6 67 x 94.5 16.7 — 4 127 in (3,226 mm) 55 in (1,397 mm)

Notes
  1. New Companies: Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited. Reg. Office: Townmead Works, Townmead Road, Fulham, London S.W.; manufacturers of automobiles, aeroplanes, motor cars, motor and other cycles, mechanical and general engineers, etc. Private Company
    Mechanical Power, vol 11, 1916. page 11, 6 April 1916
gollark: Sure, why not.
gollark: So "bee+\-crazed megalomaniac" is appropriate.
gollark: How badly damaged are they?
gollark: I don't trust you to not explode me.
gollark: I think you exploded some police officers.

References
  1. Company Matters, Flight magazine, 23 November 1916
  2. The Motor Transport Year Book and Directory Electrical Press, London, 1918
  3. S.T.D. Motors, Limited. (Incorporated under the Companies Acts, 1862 to 1900.) The Times, Monday, 10 Mar 1924; pg. 20; Issue 43596
  4. Anthony Blight, Georges Roesch and the Invincible Talbot Grenville, London 1970
  5. S.T.D. Subsidiaries. The Times, Tuesday, 12 Feb 1935; pg. 21; Issue 46986
  6. S.T.D. Motors Report. The Times, Thursday, 21 Feb 1935; pg. 19; Issue 46994
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