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Lea-Francis 1919-1954 - versatile and sporty collector's cars

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Created on Januar 24, 2010

Text:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bonhams

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Bruno von Rotz

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Daniel Koch

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Kurt Hasler / Peter Hürlimann

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Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

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Bonhams

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Bruno von Rotz

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Daniel Koch

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Kurt Hasler / Peter Hürlimann

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Archiv

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Lea-Francis 2.5 Litre Sports (1953)

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Lea Francis Sport Hyper (1930) - at the Klausenrennen 2013

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Lea Francis P-Type (1927) - at the Planai-Classic 2014

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Lea Francis 2 1/2 Litre Sports (1949) - as lot 013 at the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction on August 14, 2015

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Lea Francis 14 HP (1953) - at the Balatonfüred Concours d'Elegance 2016

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Lea-Francis 1 1/2-Litre S Type Hyper Sports Two-Seater (1928) - offered as lot 222 at the Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 24, 2016

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Lea Francis 12/40 P-Type Tourer (1929) - with starting number 006 at the Ennstal-Classic 2017

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Lea-Francis J-Type (1925) - already had front brakes and cost £ 285 (4 cylinders, 1493 cm3) - Coventry Transport Museum

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Lea Francis Hyper (1928) - this car won the Tourist Trophy in Ulster, driven by Kaye Don - Coventry Transport Museum

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Lea Francis Hyper (1928) - John Duff Trophy Goodwood Members' Meeting 2019

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Lea-Francis 12.9hp Super Sports Roadster (1939) - offered as Lot 355 at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Auction 2019

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Lea Francis 18HP Sport (1953) - in the "Masterpieces" Concours at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2019

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Lea Francis Coventry (1927) - Swiss Classic British Car Meeting Morges 2019

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Summary

There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Lea-Francis, active from 1919 to 1954. Lea-Francis became famous for its engine principle and other refinements. Despite its beautiful vehicles, the company had to bow to competitive and price pressure and closed in 1954.

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Preview (beginning of the article)

Lea-Francis, founded in 1897 by Richard Henry Lea and Graham Francis in Coventry, was also initially a bicycle brand. From 1902, the company manufactured engines and other car parts for Singer, and from 1911 also motorcycles. The company did not produce its own cars until 1919, and the sports car with a 1.1-liter engine (from Coventry Simplex) built from 1922 was soon also successful in racing - with and without a supercharger. In 1928, a Lea-Francis Hyper S with a 1.5-liter engine (from Meadows) won the Ulster-TT, and in 1928 and 1929, class victories in Le Mans resulted. In addition to sports cars, the company also produced open-top touring cars and four-seater saloons. The radiator grille, which from 1927 was conspicuously tilted backwards, was returned to a vertical position in the 1930s, and powerful four-cylinder engines with two camshafts arranged high up on the sides and hemispherical combustion chambers (designed by ex-Riley engineer Hugh Rose) were added.

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