Editing Strachan and Brown

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}

'''Strachan and Brown''' were an English coach building partnership and then a limited liability company from 1894 to 1974. The firm was originally founded in 1894 by Walter Ernest Brown as a sole trader. In 1896 S A Hughes joined and it became a partnership known as '''Brown and Hughes'''. In 1908 James Marshall Strachan joined the partnership with it being renamed '''Brown, Hughes and Strachan'''. In the partnership was put into liquidation in 1915. A new partnership with Strachan and Brown was formed that same year and lasted until 1928.<ref name="grace">[https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brown,_Hughes_and_Strachan Brown Hughes and Strachan], retrieved 19 July 2024</ref><ref name="grace1">[https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Strachan_and_Brown Strachan and Brown], retrieved 19 July 2025</ref><ref name="walker">Nick Walker: A–Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960. Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5, S. 173.</ref><ref name="library">[http://www.lthlibrary.org.uk/library/PDF-173-1.pdf Strachan (Coachbuilders)Ltd], Local Transport History Library, 2019, retrieved 19 July 2024</ref>
 
==Coach building==
[[File:1904 Milnes-Daimler Double-Decker Omnibus.JPG|thumb|right|1904 Milnes-Daimler omnibus]]
The partnership was first involved with the repair and construction of horse drawn coaches. In 1903 the partnership built bodies for [[Milnes-Daimler]] buses. Their work included the first fully enclosed double-decker bus in the United Kingdom in 1909. The partnership also made bodies for various coach built car brands such as those from [[Lanchester Motor Company]] and [[Delaunay-Belleville]]. It continued its coach building until 1928 using [[Albion Motors]] chassis.<ref name="grace"/><ref name="grace1"/><ref name="library"/><ref name="walker"/>

==Aberdonia==
[[File:MHV Aberdonia Landau 1912.jpg|thumb|right|Aberdonia Park Royal]]
From 1911 to 1915 Strachen made a mid-engined car under the Aberdonia Cars Limited called the Park Royal. The prototype was displayed at the 1911 [[London Motorfair|London Motor Show]]. It was forward-control with the driver seated ahead of the engine. The car was manufactured in [[Park Royal]], London from 1911 to 1915 by the [[coachbuilder]]s Brown, Hughes and Strachan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News and Comment. {{!}} 3rd August 1911 {{!}} The Commercial Motor Archive |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/3rd-august-1911/10/news-and-comment |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=archive.commercialmotor.com}}</ref> It was powered by a 3160&nbsp;cc, 4-cylinder, [[Flathead engine|side valve]] unit rated at 20&nbsp;[[horsepower|hp]] for taxation purposes. It cost £500 with seven-seated [[Touring car|touring]] coachwork, or £700 with "special [[landau]] body". One was made in 1913 for an Indian [[Maharajah]]. Aberdonia also made a two seat [[Convertible|cabriolet]].<ref name="walker"/><ref name="library"/>
 
A prototype stretcher carrier, using the Aberdonia chassis, was made in September 1914 with the outbreak of [[World War One]].<ref name="grace"/> Production then moved to primarily making [[Ambulance|ambulances]]. It also made vehicles with mobile washing and bathing facilities and [[Field kitchen|field kitchens]]. In order to meet the war time demand Brown, Hughes & Strachan left its traditional facilities in Kensington at the end of 1914 and moved into a new 12,000 m² (3 acres ) site in the London district of Park Royal.<ref name="walker"/>

==Fire==
In April 1915, the new facilities were completely destroyed by fire. Brown, Hughes & Strachan was then forced to cease operations and was liquidated in 1916. A fresh partnership was set up by Strachan and Brown after the fire to continue the business at their old premises in Holland Gate, Kensington, London.<ref name="walker"/><ref name="library"/>

==Aircraft==
The company built aircraft at some point during and after the war.<ref name="grace1"/>

==Patents==
Strachen is noted as having patented a window that could be removed from the body work without disturbing it, an all weather roof for open top buses, and sprung bodywork to dampen vibrations from the chassis.<ref name="library"/>

==Strachan and Brown==
In 1923 the partnership moved to Wales Farm Road, [[Acton, London]]. They continued to supply bodies for luxury saloons, and bodies designed by Frank Hopper and Sons of [[Glasgow]] for combined passenger, mail, and goods vehicles that used a [[W & G Du Cros|W&G]] chassis. These were able to carry 14 passengers and were targeted at rural communities. Bodies were also built for [[British Electric Traction|BET]] companies, the [[Barnsley and District Tramway|Barnsley and District Traction Co Ltd]], and Sheppey Motor Transport Company. In 1925 they made a 26 coach body on a [[Lancia Jota|Lancia Pentajota]] chassis for A E Strachan of Ballater. In 1928 the partnership was dissolved on 17 October 1928 with Strachan passing away the following year on 10 June 1929.<ref name="library"/><ref name="grace1"/>

==Strachans (Acton) Limited==
On 2 October 1929 a new company was registered to take over the business of Strachan and Brown. This company continued coachbuilding. In June 1931 [[Thornycroft|John Thornycroft and Co]] sent five of its new XC double decker chassis to Strachans for bodying. These were for the [[Eastern National Omnibus Company]] and were 51 seaters. These were followed by the Gilford Zeus double decker which also were 51 seaters.<ref name="library"/>

==Strachans (Successors) Limited==
The company was reorganised and renamed in 1934 but continued coachbuilding made four bodies on Lion chassis for the Metropolitan Omnibus Company of [[Perth]], Australia. During [[World War 2]] Strachans made a mobile kitchen for the [[National Fire Service]] and a [[Guy Arab]] chassised utility bus body.<ref name="library"/>

Following the war, in conjunction with S Grahame Ross Ltd, Strachans developed a less complicated way of fabrication enabling interchangeability of panels by lower skilled workers. This construction was used on 15 [[Lowbridge double-deck bus|lowbridge]] [[Leyland Motors|Leyland]] double deckers for the [[Western SMT|Western SMT Company]]. In 1951 they made a reversible design coach Jackson's Cleveland Coaches of [[Guisborough]]. An unpopular design on four more were made for Valiant Coaches of London. This was followed in 1952 by a body for the 41 seater [[Dennis]] Lancet.<ref name="library"/>

That same year Strachans introduced the 41 seater ''Srathrae'' body, which was first used on a [[AEC Regal IV]] chassis. Two years later they introduced the ''Everest''. Two were displayed at the 1954 Commercial Motor Show. One used a [[Maudslay Motor Company|Maudslay]] chassis and the other an [[AEC Reliance]] chassis. Both were 41 seaters.<ref name="library"/> 

Through this time Strachans also produced other types of commercial and specialist vehicles included bulk egg transporters and milk tankers.<ref name="library"/>

==Strachans (Coachbuilders) Limited==
By 1962 the amount of business had reduced and the company was acquired by Giltspur Investment Group. They changed its name to Strachans (Coachbuilders) Limited and reorganised it. Production was moved to new facilities in [[Hamble-le-Rice|Hamble]] on 1 October 1963. The new company made bodies for five [[Leyland Leopard]] for West Harlepool Corporation Transport and four double-deckers on [[AEC Regent V]] (3) and [[Leyland Titan (front-engined double-decker)|Leyland PD2]] (1) chassis for [[Ayrshire Bus Owners (A1 Service)|Ayrshire Bus Owners Group]]. The Pacesetter and Pacesaver bodies were introduced in 1964. The smaller Pacetraveller, Pacemaker, and Pacerider models were introduced in later years. Strachans also built a variety of other specialised bodies including battery electric [[Milk float|milk floats]], personnel carriers for [[UNICEF]], platform wagons for [[National Freight Corporation|British Road Services]], and double decker racing car carrier.<ref name="library"/>

==Superior Coach Corporation==
In 1969 Strachans obtained the rights from the [[Superior Coach Company]] of [[Lima, Ohio]] to manufacture, assemble, and distribute Superior bus bodies in Europe. Strachans were also given exclusive global rights to modify the bus bodies from eight foot wide to seven foot six inches. This resulted in them receiving an order of 100 [[Knock-down kit|CKD]] bodies from [[Ghana]] and a later order from the [[Bahrain Petroleum Company]].<ref name="library"/>

==Demise==
In the early 70's sales had fallen and this, coupled with a [[Strike action|strike]] in 1973, led to the parent company closing the factory down in mid 1974.<ref name="library"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aberdonia (Car)}}
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in London]]
[[Category:1911 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1915 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1911]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1915]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1915]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1911]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1911]]


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