[D]

David Napier, whose family were originally from Scotland, moved south in 1808 and founded D Napier & Son in Soho London producing printing machinery. Fleet Street newspapers and Westminster's Hansard used his machines. His son James joined him in 1845 at their new works at Vine Street Lambeth were they produced hydraulic hoists and other machinery.

The chairman James Murdoch Napier allowed the company to decline, and on his death in 1895 his youngest son Montague Stanley Napier took control at the age of 25. They continued making printing machines along with coin sorting equipment for banks. Montague experimented with his own car in 1898 until Selwyn Francis Edge asked him to modify a Panhard et Levassor, originally only planning to convert it from tiller steering, Napier soon had made many other improvements and eventually made his own engine.

An agreement was soon made where Napier would build a specified number of cars for Edge to sell through his Motor Power Company. The contract was for 6 cars with a further 396 to be supplied in batches up to 1904.

SF Edge and the Honourable Charles Rolls drove a 16 hp Napier in the Paris-Toulouse race. Later Edge had a victory in the 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup, which resulted in Napier Green becoming the official British racing colour.

Success led to the purchase of land in Acton in 1904 and soon Napier was employing 500 men.

In 1905 Napier built three cars as Hutton's.

Napier acquired the Cunard Motor and Carriage Company (set up in 1911 at Lower Richmond Road, London SW15) to be their in-house coachbuilder. Cunard made bodies for Napier up to 1924 and were also allowed to continue building bodies for makes such as Sunbeam, Crossley and Sheffield-Simplex.

In 1913 AJ Rowledge joined as Chief Designer and began work on new car designs. At the outbreak of the War Napier started to produce aero engines on behalf of other companies before developing the famous "Lion" 12-cylinder engine in 1918. In the 1920's turbocharged versions of this engine powered the Schneider Trophy winning Supermarine aircraft. Sir Malcolm Campbell and John Cobb both used "Lion" powered cars in World Land Speed Record cars. Napier also designed and built the "Sabre" aero engine that went on to be fitted to aircraft such as the Hawker Typhoon and Tempest.

Although car production had ceased in 1924, in 1931 the Napier board bid £103,675 for Bentley Motors and started work on a 6.5 litre Napier-Bentley. However Rolls-Royce outbid Napier with a bid of £125,175 and acquired Bentley in October 1931.

E-Mail: history@britishmm.co.uk