Coventry-Victor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morton & Weaver was a proprietary engine manufacturer in Hillfields, Coventry, founded in 1904 changing its name to Coventry-Victor in 1911.
The company started manufacturing horizontally opposed engines in 1904 and in 1906 one powered the first monoplane, the Weaver Ornithoplane, to fly in Britain. It was designed by W A Weaver, one of the partners in the company. Later they supplied engines to many motor cycle and cyclecar makers, especially Graham-White.
Between 1919 and 1930 Coventry-Victor, using their 688 cc flat twin engine, started making motor cycle and sidecar combinations many of which were used as commercial outfits.
By 1926, the company found a new scope of activity: they launched their own design two seater, three-wheeler car with the single wheel at the rear. There were four versions, the Standard, the Sports, the De-luxe and the Parcelcar with prices starting at £75. It used their own horizontal twin cylinder engines of 688 cc at first, later enlarged to 749 cc, 850 cc and finally 998 cc. Drive was to the rear wheel via a two speed gearbox and chain drive. Early cars had a single brake. There was an updating in 1932 with styling by C F Beauvais and called the Luxury Sports with three speed gearbox and costing from £110. The previous models remained available. Car production survived until 1938.
After World War II, a prototype codenamed Venus was made with flat four 747 cc engine never reached production. Instead the company concentrated on small diesel engines for the maritime market.
The company still exists as AN Weaver (Coventry Victor) Ltd.
