Singer.1000cc.1933.

Singer was an automobile Company founded in 1905 in Coventry, England. It was acquired by the group of Rootes in the United Kingdom in 1956. This british company had no connection with the Singer for Vernon, New York, E. E. U. U. who made luxury cars from 1915 to 1920.

Singer began his role as one of many bicycle manufacturers in Coventry. In 1901 began the production of bicycles and tricycles with engine. The manufacture of motorcycles continued until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

In 1904 they built their first car with four wheels that had an engine, 3-cylinder, 1400 cc and it was built under license from Lea-Francis.

In 1906, appeared the first car designed by Singer. This car incorporates a motor-Aster 4-cylinder 12/14 hp.

In 1907 they stopped producing the models under license from Lea-Francis appeared and a new range of models with engines Poppe 2, 3, and 4 cylinders.

Models with engines Aster ceased to occur in 1909 and was introduced a new range of larger cars.

In 1911 Singer got his first big sales success with the “Ten” that equates a motor of own manufacture of 1100cc.

After the end of the War, they were introduced six new models in 1922, and continued with the production of the “Ten” who in 1923 suffered certain adjustments, including the engine.

In 1927 the engine of the “Ten” was boosted up to 1300 cc and it appeared a new light car, the “Junior” with an engine of 850 cc.

In 1928, Singer was already the third largest manufacturer of automobiles in Great Britain only behind Austin and Morris.

The range continued to grow in a way a bit strange, using the developments of the engine of the “Junior” that led to the appearance of the Nine, the 14/6 and the 1000cc Sport in 1933.

After the Second World War, were introduced of new models, “Nine”, “Ten” and “Twelve” with small modifications, but in 1948 it was launched a totally new car, the SM1500, equipped with independent front suspension. The SM1500 was an expensive car and it was not a sales success, mainly due to the competition and the SM1500 had to be redesigned in 1954.

In 1956 the Company went through financial difficulties and the brothers Rootes who had been sellers of the Singer from before the war, acquired the Company.

The following model, the Gazelle, was a variant of another currency, namely the Hillman Minx. Initially, the Gazelle equipped the motor of Singer, but was replaced finally in 1958.

The last car that carried the name of mark Singer was the “Chamois”, which was a version of the Hillman.

In 1970, the control of the Rootes Group was taken over by Chrysler, and the brand Singer is gone forever.

After a period in the Coventry Machine Company, George Singer founded in 1876, a bicycle factory whose natural evolution was the passage in 1901, to the construction of motor vehicles, when the company acquired the rights to system Auto Wheel of Edwin Perks, consisting of a small engine monocilindrico mounted in the interior of a wheel of spokes to which, transmitting the movement by means of a pinion gear with internal teeth. Until 1903 the Singer rode such a solution not only on motorcycles, if not also in the three-wheeled vehicles with propulsion to front and rear, before taking on the more traditional belt drive.

In 1905, the Singer began to build cars, using the unusual motor horizontal camshaft-in-head designed by Alex Craig and built under license from Lea-Francis. Other features were a few cranks very long, chain-drive only and the rear axle rigid. While Lea-Francis employed three-cylinder engines, the Singer preferred the higher handlebars, which is offered in two versions: a small 8 HP and a 12 HP 2.5-liter.

The following year he was presented the model 12/14 conventional HP, equipped with an engine White&Poppe 4-cylinder and 1.8-liter with valves bilateral, cone clutch, leather, change of three gears and transmission on the tree articulated. On that occasion appeared for the first time the distinctive emblem circular located in the center of the radiator, which led all models Singer until 1910.

For 1907, the Singer introduced a whole range of models, all with ignition coil, a change of three gears, cone clutch and frame of stamped steel. The type 7 HP twin-cylinder, 10 HP three-cylinder and the 12/14 HP used engine White & Poppe, while the larger models 4-cylinder, 16 HP, and the 20/22 HP, mounted thrusters Aster. However, the White & Poppe continued to be the provider, favorite of the Singer and his engines geared up the successive models, such as the 16 HP 2.5-liter 1909, with drum brakes on the rear wheels, and change of four gears with the fourth sobremultiplicada. In 1910, the front of this model increased to 2,800 cc., also used with success in the Bunny Junior G. O. Herbert, who was awarded numerous records of its class, including the mile with output launched, 130 Km/h. In 1911 there were two new engines, White & Poppe of 2.6 and 3.3 liters with valves monolaterales.

The cyclecar twin appeared in 1912, was replaced at the end of that same year by the small 10 HP, the first “best seller“ of Singer, designed by Anderson. Your engine is 4-cylinder 1096 cc., cooling by thermosyphon, leaf springs, semi-elliptical and rims of steel sheet, in 1913, was offered as an option electrical installation for the lighting. The change of three gears, mounted in block with the rear axle, it had many flaws, but the little Singer had reached a speed of 65 Km/h. and in the version with bodywork simplified weighing less than 360 Kg. siendi especially suitable for the races of the Formula Cyclecar. A 10 HP. set the record lap at Brooklands at the speed of 115 m/h) – 87 Km/h. in addition, this car was adopted by the british army during the first world war.

Thanks to the military production of the 10 HP. the Singer was able to resume your normal activity in 1919, built the following year between 40/50 cars per week. The basic model continued to be the 10 HP. along with a small spider sports with hood long, which could reach 95 Km/h. At that time, the Singer acquired the facilities of the Premier, a company of bicycles and motorcycles of Coventry, where he built some simplified versions of the Ten, sold under the brand name Premier.

The model 10 HP experienced successive improvements, by adopting the fuel tank and rear pump power in 1921, the suspensions of the fourth ellipse in 1922, the year in which the change was installed in a central position, and the following year was adopted a new engine block with valves in head and cylinder head are detachable.

In 1921, the Ten was joined by a series of small cars of 6 cylinder engines of the side valve of 1991 cc. change of three gears, cone clutch,-(substituted for the disk in 1923)-, pump power, torque helical cone-and disc wheels Michelin, manufactured until 1925, these 6-cylinder models not exceeded 100 units.

In 1925, the Ten became the 10/26 HP. with 1.308 cc.; in 1926 it adopted the front brakes and a new 6-cylinder engine with valves in head of three supports, the type 14/34 HP 1.8-liter. Another Singer of great success was the Junior of 1927, a small car with 4 seats, 848 cc. of conception very simple, lubrication for fall with pump, collection, cone clutch, leather, crossbows, quarter ellipse, and brakes only on the rear wheels. However, it was the first Singer with camshaft in head.

To cope with the production of the Junior, the Singer opened a new factory in Birmingham, in 1931, a year of gold for this model, is exceeded 8,500 units built,-(in that period, the Singer, in terms of volume of sales, behind the Morris and the Austin, it was the third british brand of cars)-. Among the modifications introduced in the Junior during its production cycle, 1927-1932, included: the brakes on all four wheels, leaf springs front semielipticas and the clutch disk-(1928)- , the leaf springs semielipticas front (1930), and, finally, the forced lubrication system in the latest series of 1932.

The great success of the Junior represented an isolated episode in the history of Singer during the period 1930-1936, literally very overloaded by an indiscriminate variety of models. If in 1929 there were still only three models, the Junior, Senior-( a type of 1.571 cc. derived from the 10/26 HP.)-, and a 6-cylinder with overhead valves, 7 supports and 1920 cc., in the course of the following years, the new models are alternated with a frequency incredible. In 1930 there was a 6-cylinder side valve, followed the following year by the 10 HP., 4-cylinder side valve 27 hp. It was still more complicated as the range of 1932 ,with three different engines: the small 6-cylinder, 1.5-liter Ten, the 2050 cc. with valves monolaterales of 18 HP. and a new version of 6-cylinder with rods and rocker arms, 1926, available with a strange body of six lights designed by C. F. Beauvais. The Junior and the 9 HP of 972 cc. retained, in contrast, the solution of camshaft in head. Also the 12 HP 1440 cc. introduced in 1934, belongs to the series of the models useless. The only sign of distinction of these Singer were the brakes hydraulic.

In mid-1934, the 12 HP. it was replaced by the 11 HP. three supports, with camshaft in head of 1384 cc. In 1935 he made his appearance a saloon aerodynamics inspired by the famous Chrysler Airflow and a sport version with double carburetor wheels and central locking.

Most successful small sports introduced in 1933, based on the model 9 HP. and equipped with an engine of 972 cc. with a double carburetor and camshaft on head, mounted on a frame lowered, unlike the models of tourism, they were used as shock absorbers of friction. These cars were particularly suitable for racing all-terrain, in which Singer earned in the period 1933-1934, some 500 victories.

For 1934, the Singer presented an excellent model of 6-cylinder sport, of 1493 cc. available with dimensions of 2 or 4 seater, with this model, they were seventh and eighth at Le Mans in 1934. However, this promising start was cut short by the poor performance offered in the Tourist Trophy of 1935, for which he had set up a team of three light Nine Sport with a large amount of pieces of lightweight alloy. Were obtained top posts in the edition of the Tourist Trophy, 1937, fourth and sixth place, and sixth place in the 24 hours of Belgium, but the Nine were no longer competitive and the racing team Singer was dissolved. The last Singer Sport itself was a model 4-cylinder, 1.5-liter, in 1937 replaced the 6 cylinder with overhead cam, twin carburetor fed by electric pump, change synchronized 4-gear and spoke wheels with central locking. That engine later it was used as a basis for the thrusters H. RG. in the period 1939-1956.

Mined by a business policy too dispersora, the financial conditions of Singer were not very good. There was an attempt to match the success of the Junior, presenting in 1936, the Bantam, a simplified version of the model 9 HP. tourism, very similar to the Morris 8, which, however, failed to even graze his supremacy. Therefore, it was accurately a rationalization of the models that in 1938 were reduced to three, The Bantam saloon, 10 HP. and the 12 HP, all 4-cylinder.

The Singer had already begun, a slow but unstoppable downward phase, in the immediate post-war commented on the re-proposing of the old models of the pre-war and up to 1948, it introduced a novelty; the model SM 1500 with body-saloon, six seater, suspension front independent and a change in the steering wheel, his body unattractive, was not modified until 1955 with the new Hunter series, but sales remained stalled.

In 1956, the brand was acquired by the Rootes Group, which moved production to its plant in Ryton. Practically, this move determined the end of this british brand that, however, survived until 1970, by presenting models similar to the Hillman, as the Gazelle, Vogue and Chamois. Like Humber and Sunbeam, belonging to the same group, the Singer had lost all reason for being, and in 1967 the new management of Chrysler suspended definitely the manufacture of their models, although some models from Chrysler as the Arrow followed by the name of the Singer until 1970, Vogue and Gazelle Arrow.