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Thompson Bros
(Bilston) Ltd.
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Thompson Bros' cars
In the early 1920s there was a boom in cycle cars and
Thompsons entered this market with a three wheeled, open, two seater
cycle car which had an entirely original design concept.
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This advert appeared in the Motor Cycle on 5th May
1921 and shows the 8/10 hp three wheeler. Not surprisingly the
emphasis is on economy. You could get an air cooled or a
water cooled engine. |
| This was the sports model, with only one seat and
a centrally placed steering wheel. But at the back there
was an emergency seat for a passenger or "ample room for ...
luggage, guns, fishing tackle or golf clubs". |
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Near the works was a piece of disused land, composed of small
hillocks and a few rough and rutted paths. This was used as the
testing ground for the cars. This lead to a very reliable vehicle
which did well in competitions and trials.
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The cars remained in production until 1924 by
which time the price of four wheel cars had fallen so much that
the cycle cars had very little price advantage. Thompsons
did not turn to four wheeled cars but used their vehicle skills
in conjunction with their original tank and boiler skills, to
produce road tankers.
The only example of a TB car we have so far found is this
radiator, with a few bits of the chassis, which is in store at
the Black Country Living Museum.
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There is a very full account of TB cars on the
Wolverhampton History and Heritage web site. Use the button below to
go to it - but as there is no link back from there, you will have to use
the back button on your browser.
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return to Thompson Bros front page |
go to the full story of TB cars |
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