Lea-Francis Vehicles

Lea-Francis cycles were innovative, high-quality products.

The first Lea-Francis motor car.

Lea-Francis motorcycles were built between 1911 - 1924.

Alderson designed 11.9hp car. Lea-Francis first conventional motor car.

Three prototypes built as Lea-Francis tried to find its place in motor car manufacturing.

The first Lea-Francis in which Charles Van Eugen had a hand, becoming the starting point for succesful Lea-Francis motor car design

The first of a long line of Lea-Francis vehicles fitted with an engine supplied by Henry Meadows Ltd, and the first successful Lea-Francis car.

A new chassis design for 1924, but still with the Meadows 4EB engine used in the D type.

The same specification as a E type, but with a three-speed gearbox.

A shortened version of the F type, designed to be a low-cost, affordable motor car

A sporty motor car built on the same chassis as an E type but with a more powerful Meadows 4ED engine.

The I Type shared the same chassis as the E and F Types, but had the more powerful Meadows 4EC engine.

The J, K, L and M Types shared the same Charles M Van Eugen redesigned chassis.

Identical to the J Type apart from its engine.

Built by Vulcan at Southport, only the gearboxes were made by Lea-Francis.

The 1926 chassis with quarter-elliptic rear springs with the sporting Brooklands 12/50 version of the Meadows 4ED

The 1926 chassis with quarter-elliptic rear springs with the 12/40 version of the Meadows 4ED

In 1927 Van Eugen designed a completely new chassis with semi-elliptic springs front and rear, which was longer and had a wider track than previous models.

This is the recreation using as many of the original parts as have survived.

The famous Hyper Lea-Francis can claim to have been the first supercharged British production car.

Identical to the P type apart from the engine and the disc wheels.

The V type is essentially an S type, but with a twin port head and two carburettors instead of the supercharger.

Intended to rival the popular Riley Nine Monaco, the W type or Francis saloon had a light fabric body with a small boot on a slightly modified P type chassis.

An early example of badge engineering, these impressive-looking cars were made by Vulcan Engineering of Southport, with whom Lea-Francis were associated.

Called Ace of Spades after the shape of the timing case cover.

In July 1937 a new company, Lea-Francis Engineering Ltd, was founded and opened the Much Park Street factory in Coventry. Its first offerings were these elegant vehicles.

This is the most numerous Lea-Francis model of all, introduced in 1946 on a development of the pre-war chassis and engine.

For 1951 the four-light saloon body fitted to the 14hp ifs chassis was lowered by some two inches, the boot lid opened from the top instead of the bottom.

This streamlined de-luxe version of the 14hp saloon was introduced at the 1948 Motor Show.

The estate cars on the 14hp saloon chassis had wooden bodies that were built by quite a number of independent coachbuilders, who even produced one-offs for individual customers. However a standard model was also evolved, and most survivors are of this type.

This handsome sports car with lively performance from the 87bhp engine deserved to do better, as there was little competition for it, but partly because of its price only 111 were made.

From the start the potential of the very tunable 14hp engine and chassis was recognised and a number of sports and racing versions made. More recently some tired post-war 14s have found a new lease of life with mainly home-built open bodies fitted.

Just 29 examples were built of a graceful two-door fixed-head coupé on the 14hp chassis by the Westland company of Hereford in1948 and 1949. They also built two examples of a streamlined tourer.

The Connaught was made by Continental Cars of Send, Surrey, and their first sports cars used the chassis, engine and transmission of the Lea-Francis 14hp Sports. The later A type F2 racing car still had an engine developed from the Lea-Francis unit.

Jack Turner started producing high performance sports cars in 1949. The first eight cars completed featured his own all-independent chassis, some with Lea-Francis engines.

A number of Midget racing cars were powered by Lea-Francis engines and raced with success both in the USA and Australia, where the Speedway format of motor sport is more popular.

In 1949 two models, this sports car and a saloon, were launched using the ifs chassis and a new 2496cc four-cylinder engine designed by Hugh Rose.

Outwardly identical to the 14hp six-light saloon, the 18hp saloon was launched in 1949.

This is a sister car to the 14hp tourer produced by Westland.

Unveiled at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show after just six months' hurried preparation.

In 1962 Barrie Price purchased the assets of the Car Division of Lea-Francis, including the name.

The Lea-Francis 30/230 was first shown to the public at the 1998 Motor Show.

This small garden tractor was at least a small success when introduced in 1961, unlike the company's previous venture, the Lynx.