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IT is a remarkable fact that the firms which are most progressive and up-to-date at the present time are those which are the oldest in point of years, and Lea and Francis Ltd. is a good example of this. The original company was formed in 1896 by Messrs. R. H. Lea and G. I. Francis and they first concerned themselves exclusively with the manufacture of push-bikes. It seems a far cry from the humble pedal driven two-wheeler to the 100 m.p.h. racing car, but there is nothing like beginning gently, and the fact that there are still Lea-Francis cycles 30 years old in constant use speaks well for the workmanship of the founders. Although Lea-Francis cars were not in full production as we now know them until after the war, the firm started building cars in 1900, and in the following few years produced a remarkable vehicle with a 3-cylinder horizontal engine of 4" bore and 6" stroke. On a recent visit to Coventry we had an opportunity of inspecting one of these actual engines which is still kept in the works. It is a most massive object and looks at first glance more like a small scale locomotive engine than an internal combustion motor. It had, for instance, piston rods running in cross-head bearings, driving the connecting rods after the manner of accepted steam practice, and the massive crankshaft had a flywheel at each end. The overall length was at least 4' 6" and we can well imagine that acceleration was not a very strong point on this model! However, although its great weight is hardly in keeping with modern ideas, the fact that it had an overhead camshaft and many other quite modern features shows that efficiency was being carefully considered even in those days. Although this car was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Show of 1904 it was somewhat costly, and never went into production in any quantity. The next internal combustion vehicle produced by this Coventry firm was the Lea-Francis V-twin motorcycle, which from 1911 onwards enjoyed considerable popularity, and had a wonderful reputation for silence and smooth running, which was by no means a common attribute of the motorcycle of that time. Those of us who started our motoring career on two wheels, and most of us did, will remember that this machine was a very long way ahead of its time in many details of design. Fully enclosed chain drive with a transmission shock absorber, and real brakes on both wheels, were things which only came into full use on most machines some years after the war. The war, of course, caused a complete break in the programme and the whole works was turned over to the manufacture of aircraft parts, and other delicate operations which required a very complete machine equipment. Much experimental work was also done for the Admiralty and some of the complicated and delicate instruments for range-finding and similar work were produced there. As soon as the works could regain normal conditions after the war, work was started on a 12 h.p. car. This was the real beginning of the Lea-Francis as we know it today, and the 1922 show at the White City saw the first models offered to the public. The firm took full advantage of competition work as a means of research and of demonstrating the capabilities of their product, and in the R.A.C. six-days trial of 1924 Mr. H. Tatlow, the works manager, was awarded a special Gold Medal for his performance. During this year, and up to the time that manufacturers were barred by the S.M.M.T. from entering in trials, a most formidable list of trophies had been acquired. After the ban there was no lack of keen private owners to carry on the good work, and ever since, this make has been one of the most popular among keen competition drivers. Attention was next turned to the production of a really fast sports car, and this resulted in the supercharged 1½-litre model. Being one of the first cars on the British market to fit a supercharger as standard, it sprang into immediate popularity with sports car owners, and proof of the efficiency of this model was supplied in 1928 by Kaye Don's victory in the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy in Ulster on a supercharged Lea-Francis. Since then these cars have figured in all the classic events, and have in fact been the chief British representatives in the 1500 c.c. class against foreign competition. Whether winning or not, Lea-Francis cars have always proved to be among the fastest in their class, and the lessons learnt in racing have been of immense value in keeping all their models up-to-date. For the coming year the 1500 c.c. models have re mained very nearly unchanged except for detail improvements, as is only to be expected, and these are obtainable both in supercharged and unsupercharged forms. The most interesting model in their range is, of course, the new 2-litre six cylinder model, of which a description and road test appear elsewhere in this issue, and which shows that Lea-Francis have no intention of losing their reputation for being up-to-date in matters of design and performance.
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EVER since Kaye Don's victory on a Lea-Francis in the Ulster Tourist Trophy race of 1928, this model has enjoyed a steady run of successes. Owing to the foresight of the manufacturers in marketing the supercharged model as standard as soon as it had showed its mettle, it has proved a very popular car with the amateur who requires something for serious competitions, which at the same time can be used for ordinary work on the road. A measure of this popularity is to be found in the large number of these cars on the roads to-day, which gives ample answer to those over-conservative motorists who still maintain that a supercharged car is not suitable for the private owner.  In the case of the Lea-Francis the supercharger is a Cozette, situated in front of the cylinder block and drawing its mixture through a carburettor of the same make. This instrument, as most of our readers will remember, consists of an eccentric with sliding vanes which make contact with the periphery of the casing. These blades are lubricated by mixing oil with the petrol, and this is a very simple matter as a neat measure is incorporated with the filler cap; one of these filled with Castrol XL must be put in to every two gallons of fuel. The bearings of the supercharger are lubricated by a mechanical pump, which draws its supply from a neat tank on the front of the dash, and on the same side as the sump filler cap. A two-way tap system is incorporated so that for prolonged "blinding," they may be turned so that oil is supplied to the supercharger by the main pressure system which feeds the engine bearings.The engine is a perfectly normal 1500 c.c. 4-cylinder O.H.V. job of 69 mm. bore by 100 mm. stroke, and therefore at ordinary touring speeds on a small throttle opening is very smooth, and shows the advantage of using forced induction to get the extra speed _ when required. The actual car which we took over for some days, for test, was a demonstration model which had covered many thousands of miles at high speeds, and was therefore expected to show some signs of its past life. However, it appeared to have stood up remarkably well, and the only sign of a hard time was given by the fact that the petrol and oil consumptions were somewhat higher than would be the case on a newer engine, and merely showed that new piston rings would shortly be required. The engine and supercharger were mechanically quiet, and at normal speeds we were entirely able to forget the presence of the latter. When we took over the car it was fitted with some comparatively "soft" plugs, and we soon found that our normal method of progression from place to place, i.e., with the throttle well open, did not agree with them, and produced pre-ignition. This caused us a little bother at first, till we found others of suitable type. The acceleration was very good, and on second gear 10-30 m.p.h. takes 4 seconds, and 10-40 m.p.h. 6 seconds only, The maximum speed on this gear is 45-50 m.p.h. Third gear, which is naturally in fairly constant use when driving hard, gave us a maximum of 70 m.p.h. The maximum speed achieved during our test, with four people aboard was 82 m.p.h., but owing to the business of plugs, just referred to, it was not considered advisable to keep the throttle too far open too long, and there is little doubt that this speed could be improved on. Even so it is extremely good. The correct plugs for fast work in this engine are K.L.G. 396, which is a road racing type. The gear change is light, but requires a little practice at getting the revs just right, before perfectly silent changes can be guaranteed, but we became quite at home with this gear box in a few hundred miles, and naturally any owner of one of these cars will be so used to it, that it will never strike him as presenting any difficulty. The steering and cornering are good, but it is very important to see that the tyre pressures are correctly adjusted to the load, as the steering is somewhat sensitive to this point. Personally, we should have preferred slightly more caster action, but it is impossible to please everyone in the matter of steering. As can be seen from the illustrations, the chassis is very low, and stability is excellent, and as we were often in a considerable hurry, this was well tested. The vacuum servo brakes are very powerful and light to operate, and will bring the car to rest from 40 m.p.h. in 65 ft. Adjustment is by independent wing nuts to each brake, as this firm in common with many others, hold that this is the only way to secure even braking, and also even wear on the linings. The only alternative is a very elaborate system of compensation using differentials, similar to that used on one very large and costly car to-day, but which is too cumbersome to be used on a 1½-litre car. Altogether the supercharged Lea-Francis is a car for the man who wants something with a performance out of the ordinary which will also be thoroughly suitable for general use, and at £495 it presents excellent value. Motor Sport, August 1930
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The actual engine we were driving was an experimental job, and differed in one or two minor points from the latest edition, and we are informed that this period has been entirely eliminated in the final design.
