The British post-war Volkswagen that nobody remembers anymore
We could have turned this into an almost unsolvable car connoisseur quiz question, but this car would also have fitted in well with the article "Technology under discussion - crazy ideas " . The Kendall-Beaumont was also widely discussed in the local press in 1945, as it was the first British post-war project with the aim of building a "Volkswagen", i.e. a car for mass motorization.
The Automobil Revue devoted almost an entire page to the newcomer in issue 2/1945. 100,000 cars per year were to be built according to the ideas of Grantham Productions Ltd.
The car was self-supporting, but the most unusual feature was certainly the three-cylinder radial engine in the rear, which drove the rear axle via a three-speed gearbox. The 600 cm3 two-stroke engine was supposed to achieve 30 hp at 6000 rpm - pretty impressive figures for the year 1945. While the four independent wheel suspensions were forward-looking, the idea of a kick starter for starting the engine was surprising.
Six months later, Automobil Revue reported on the little Kendall again in issue 25/1945 as part of a review of the British car industry. We can reproduce the brief characterization here:
"This English "Volkswagen", which is to be launched on the market for around 100 pounds sterling, is still in the experimental stage. Nevertheless, various advances have been made. The three-cylinder engine of approx. 600 cm delivers approx. 18 hp in the normal version, while it is supposed to deliver up to 25 hp on the brakes in a somewhat forced model. The exhaust turbine, which is connected to the flywheel, is said to achieve an additional output of approx. 4 %.
In addition to the four-seater saloon, a small tractor with the same engine and an additional gearbox, i.e. a total of six gears, is also currently being tested. The maximum speed is 40 km/h, the lowest speed approx. 3 km/h. A PTO shaft is also provided for a speed of 800 rpm. The dimensions of this small agricultural vehicle are: Wheelbase 1.5.m, length 2.4 m, weight 600 kg, smallest turning circle 4.2 m."
In September 1945, photos of the British "Volkswagen" appeared in Automobil Revue 38/1945. The first example of the English "Kendall-Beaumont" small car had finally been completed. The car received a rather cool reception from the British press, it read.
And that was that. Obviously, the car was unable to establish itself on the market. We would have loved to have driven a car with a radial engine ....
