The House of Gwynne Cars,
Pumps and Aeroengines 1849 - 1968
This is a fascinating book which is of great interest to me because my grandfather owned a Gwynne Eight open - tourer. He sold it in 1934 for 15 shillings (75p) to raise money to buy a new house.
The Author
Ken Good was born in Cardiff in 1922. After serving in the Royal Navy during the WW2 he returned to the Civil Service in which he had begun his career as a clerical officer. Moving to London he worked in various departments, before retiring from the Cabinet Office in 1982 as Assistant Secretary.
He maintained a lifelong passion for his native Cardiff and remembered with enjoyment, as a small boy, being driven through the countryside of South Wales and SW England in his grandfather's Gwynne Eight. His interest in vintage motoring inspired him to become registrar and historian of Albert and Gwynne cars. He died unexpectedly in November 2000 and is survived by his wife, four children and six grandchildren.
Gwynne History
Gwynne was an old established, family, engineering business. The original company began in the 1849 with the manufacture of centrifugal pumps. A world-wide reputation for excellence developed and pumps for all sizes and all possible uses were sold in the UK and abroad. Many are still in use today.
The First World War brought a request from the Government to build Clerget rotary engines for the Sopwith Fleet; top secret reports on their successes in air battles were received at the factory. After the war the redundant production plant needed a new use and in 1920 tan order was received to make engines for the 12hp Albert car .
The family bought the company in 1922 and moved production to Chiswick In 1923 the name of the car was changed to Gwynne-Albert and the engine enlarged to 14hp. At this time the company also started to make a small car, the Gwynne Eight, based on the design of the Spanish Victoria car. This had an 850cc 4 cylinder overhead valve engine producing 24 bhp. Financial problems arose in 1923 but production continued.
About 2250 examples of the lively Eight were made. A larger model, the Gwynne Ten was offered from 1927 and about 600 were made before production ceased in 1968.
The 1924 Sports Gwynne Eight with disc wheels. (Gregor Grant)
Ken's book describes these products and the successes and failures of the various Gwynne companies until the disappearance on the name from the trading market in 1968.
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Click here: Gwynne
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