Calthorpe Motors was started by G.W.Hands in 1904. He was a bicycle maker, as were many engineering entrepreneurs in Brum at that time. Hands made a small 10hp shaft drive [when many were persisting with chain drive] and evolved the design into the 12/14hp car. In modern terms, these were probably 1500cc sized but Mr Hands also built larger units up to 3litres. Hands bought in engines and certainly produced a larger 'racer' at some point before the Great War. I think it was built to the four inch rules (a formula related to the bore of the engine) and was called something like The Silver Dart (that is not it... can't remember the correct name). This racer [13.9hp] was used on the road latterly, and in fact went through family ownership of two quite seperate groups, who are now great friends today. Coincidences happen!
Calthorpe let GW Hands go off to form another company, but continued. Hands returned later, post-war and brought his own successful design to Calthorpe in the twenties.
A subsidiary of Calthorpe was Mulliner the coachbuilder. Mulliners often used the S-shaped pram-irons on the folding hoods [roof] of its sporting bodies.
When sold out in 1927, the site became the Colmore Depot of Morris Cars.
I am hunting for any news or information about coachbuilders from the 1920's in that area. Particularly, I want to find out about Thomas Hughes & Son of Sparkhill, and a Bonze/Brass foundry called Fox Merrill & Cutler.
