New sport: the owners of the Trojan motor works on the Purley Way were behind the introduction of go-kart racing to Britain in the late 1950s
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Croydon, with a site just off the Purley Way, was once the home of a leading motor manufacturer, which innovated on transport throughout its history. By DAVID MORGAN
Innovator: Leslie Hounsfield, founder of the Trojan car and van business
In 1931, a grand competition was held in the Davis Theatre to mark the third anniversary of its opening. As befitting Croydon’s major entertainment venue of the day, the prizes were eye-catching.
There were return tickets for two to Paris, courtesy of Imperial Airways who operated out of Croydon Aerodrome. There was a pair of boots and ice stakes donated by the Imperial Ice Rink in Purley. And there was plenty to go round, too: 500 prizes had been donated by Croydon traders.
Everyone who passed through the doors of the theatre on their gift day received a small prize. They were then entitled to enter the main competition by correctly guessing how many people would attend the theatre on this day of days.
The star prize was a car. And not just any car, but a locally made Trojan five-seater saloon, described as “graceful in appearance and advanced in design”. The winner of the car was a Mrs Francis, of Elmers Road, Woodside.
It might be difficult to comprehend today, when arguments rage about the best way to attract businesses to the area, that Croydon once had a factory which produced cars. The Trojan Works on Purley Way was a significant feature of the local industrial landscape for many years during the 20th Century.
Graceful in appearance: the Trojan car which was the star prize in the Davis Theatre competition
Having originally set up his business in Clapham, it was to Vicarage Road in Croydon – not far from the Wandle Park tram stop today – where Leslie Hounsfield transferred his expanded enterprise just before the start of World War I. The Purley Way works became the centre of operations for the company from the late 1920s onwards.
Hounsfield was very proud of his “people’s car”. This car ran on solid tyres, so there were no worries about punctures. He developed a unique suspension system to go with the tyres, which gave the passengers a comfortable ride. The engine was basic, with only seven moving parts.
Rather than having a chassis, the car had a punt-shaped tray which housed the engine and transmission below the seats. The engine was started by pulling a lever which was situated to the right of the driver.
Prices for Trojans were kept low. The cost of a Trojan car in 1925 was £125. This was an equivalent price to a Model-T Ford and less than the £149 for an Austen 7.
Grocers’ vans: Trojan vans sold around the world
The car was so economical to run that, as part of an advertising campaign, the company used the slogan “Can you afford to walk?” Calculations were made which showed that over a distance of 200 miles, your shoes would ear out and it would cost more to buy new shoes than it would be to simply jump in the car and travel the distance on their solid tyres.
Pneumatic tyres became an option on a 1920s modified Trojan, which had a slightly smaller engine.
If it was speed you were after, then a Trojan wasn’t the car for you. Hounsfield’s original design in 1913 could reach only 13mph. Hounsfield wasn’t keen on drivers speeding and wanted to keep any speed below 20mph. He was overruled when the next model in the 1920s was produced. It was able to travel at 35mph.
The 1931 model, with the engine in the rear, could even reach 45mph!
As well as cars, the Purley Way works manufactured vans. They proved to be most popular with businesses because they were easy to drive and economical to run. Brooke Bond’s purchase of 2,000 vans over a five-year period in the 1920s in order to deliver their tea around the country brought a fame to the Trojan name.
Other fleets of Trojan vans were delivered to Liptons and to the Salvation Army. The Brook Bond van became so well-known, it even became part of the Dinky model car collection.
Adverts for Trojan cars and vans began appearing all over the world. The Brisbane Telegraph in December 1926 ran a story that Moxon Motors had struck a deal to become the local agent for Trojan cars and they expected to receive their first models for sale early in 1927.
In Sydney, in June 1926, there was a procession of 18 Trojan vans through the city to Macquarie Street, each with a baker’s livery. Under the headline “Baker’s Parade”, the locals were being shown the very latest way of getting their bread delivered. One baker said that he travelled more than 25 miles each day delivering loaves to his customers, at a cost of under two shillings. The firm who supplied the Trojan vans was WE Brown, of Bong Bong Street, Bowral.
Prized toy: Trojan’s Brooke Bond vans were so well-known, Dinky made models of them
Trojan ceased making cars during the late 1930s, but after World War II they continued with their manufacture of vans, together with a completely new product. This was a small 50cc engine which could be attached to a conventional pushbike, converting it into a moped. As motorbikes and mopeds were in very short supply, those motors proved very popular and more than 50,000 were produced between 1949 and 1954.
By the late 1950s, the company was losing significant amounts of money and was bought by Peter Agg.
He was the sole importer of Lambretta scooters and so Agg combined the two businesses. It was the Mods who latched on to the scooters as their favoured mode of transport. Often covering the front of them with mirrors, lights and badges, they were a common sight in the 1960s.
In 1959, Agg introduced go-karting to Britain. He had seen it in America and his manufacture of karts in Croydon enabled many drivers, young and not-so young, to enjoy the thrills of racing at a low cost. The Trokart, as it was called, was made in kit form to avoid purchase tax, and retailed at £25 – more than £700 in today’s values. These machines were powered by a 90cc Clinton motor.
Business bubble: Peter Agg had the Purley Trojan works as the British outlet for Bubblecars
An article in the Croydon Advertiser that year informed its readers about the new craze of go-karting and publicised a trial held at Croydon Airport. On a circuit marked out by sand-filled bags, the reporter thoroughly enjoyed their experience of racing thrills at 30mph. The Trokart went into production just as soon as the RAC had given its recognition to the sport and laid a fixed formula for the new machine.
Agg’s skills and versatility as an entrepreneur were key to the success of the Purley Way business while he was at the helm. In 1962, he bought the international rights to the Bubblecar, first manufactured in Germany by Heinkel. In total, 7,000 of these tiny cars were made by Trojan, becoming another symbol of the style and fashions of the 1960s.
After the Bubblecars, came the Elva sports cars, with the Courier model being manufactured in the Trojan Works.
Another significant business move by Agg was to partner the company with the McLaren racing car team. All non-Formula 1 sports cars, including the famous M8s, were manufactured by Trojan. They produced the first McLaren road car, too. That partnership ended in 1970 when racing driver Bruce McLaren was killed at the Goodwood circuit while testing a new car.
Prize winner: Mrs Francis, in the Croydon Times of 1931
The Trojan works closed in 1973. It had been a wonderful place to work, as testified by the memories of the former employees. As well as creating some fantastic vehicles, the social side of factory life was strong, too, with several sports teams and a choir.
A thriving Trojan Owners Club exists today for enthusiasts. They keep a comprehensive list of vehicles still in existence, including some in Australia. Well over 100 vehicles are on their books.
How did Mrs Francis get on with her Trojan car which she received from Claud Allister, the British-born Hollywood film star, and the managing director of the Trojan works, Basil Monk, after winning that Davis Theatre competition?
She didn’t.
She sold it. In an interview with the Croydon Times, Francis said that she and her husband hadn’t got anywhere to put a car, so they would sell it and use the money to buy some new things for their house.
She told the reporter that she and her husband went in for all kinds of competitions but that was the first bit of luck they had ever had in 20 years. Her winning guess of 9,077 matched exactly to the number of people who went through the door at the Davis Theatre on their gift day.
A full list of winners was published in the Croydon Times, which revealed that Mrs Perrett of Woodcote Road, Purley, won the tickets to fly to Paris, while Mr Love of Kemerton Road, Addiscombe, won the ice skates.
“If only I’d won that Trojan car!” was the cry from thousands of Croydon households that week.
David Morgan, pictured, is a former Croydon headteacher, now the volunteer education officer at Croydon Minster, who offers tours or illustrated talks on the history around the Minster for local community groups
If you would like a group tour of Croydon Minster or want to book a school visit, then ring the Minster Office on 020 688 8104 or go to the website on www.croydonminster.org and use the contact page
Some previous articles by David Morgan:
- From Grimaldi to Chaplin: Bult’s mission to record clown faces
- Spackman was at the heart of Croydon’s art scene for 30 years
- The church fire that consumed a thousand years of history
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
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What a brilliant story, David – well researched and told, thank you!
Peter Agg! Absolute legend – rescued the Suzuki motorcycle business from the bankupcy and went grand prix racing with Barry Sheene. Their HQ was off Beddington Lane down wind of the sewarge works.