Description and History of Site:-
Sheffield Simplex cars were built in Sheffield, 1906-1922. Car production began with the Brotherhood Crocker, built in 1905 by Peter Brotherhood, a steam engine, turbine and radial engine manufacturer, in West Norwood, London. At that time, Brotherhood's main works were at Belvedere Road, Westminster Bridge, London. Later that year Brotherhoods moved from Belvedere Road to a new site near Peterborough, but there were difficulties with planning permission. Earl Fitzwilliam, who was a director of Brotherhood, provided a site for a new factory for Brotherhoods on land he owned at Tinsley, which opened in mid-1906. However, Brotherhoods pulled out of car production and Earl Fitzwilliam took total control, with Percy Richardson (ex-Daimler) managing the factory. The company's name was changed to The Sheffield Simplex Motor Works Ltd. Car production began later in 1906.

Within a year Sheffield Simplex cars were being seen as a rival to Rolls-Royce. They were manufactured to a high standard from high quality materials. The first model was the LA1 45hp, 6 cylinders, for closed cars, i.e. long wheelbase, introduced in 1907, followed by the LA2 45hp, 6 cylinders, for open cars, i.e. short wheelbase, in 1908. Three more 6 cylinder models were introduced between 1910 and 1912 A 4 cylinder model was introduced in 1910. All models were available with either short wheelbase for open bodywork, or long wheelbase for closed bodywork. Bodywork was built by the client's chosen coachbuilder; quite a number had coachwork by Theo Masui, of Grosvenor Road, Westminster, a forerunner of Vanden Plas (England). By March 1912 production had reached 6 cars per week, possibly the peak rate of output.

By 1913 Sheffield Simplex had a London showroom at 20 Conduit Street, a few doors away from Rolls-Royce at 14-15 Conduit Street - certainly not a coincidence. Sheffield Simplex introduced the electric starter, pioneered in the USA, to their cars in 1913. They were the first British manufacturer to use it.

Car production slowed down on the outbreak of World War 1 and stopped entirely in 1915. During the war production switched to munitions work: naval shells, sea mines and aircraft engines - built under licence from ABC. In 1915-16 they built a number of armoured cars on Sheffield Simplex chassis.

Only a few cars were built after WW1. The last car built, the 50hp, 6 cylinders, Sheffield Simplex SSK, was produced at their factory in Kingston on Thames in 1920. It was acquired by Earl Fitzwilliam. The Sheffield Simplex company closed in 1921 when Earl Fitzwilliam withdrew his financial support. About 1500 Sheffield Simplex cars were built 1906-1921. Of these, three still exist: a 1908 LA2 45hp and the 1920 50hp SSK, both at Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield, and a 1913 7A(b) 30hp, at the Powerhouse Museum, Perth, Australia.

The Ner-A-Car motor cycle was produced at the Kingston factory, under licence from the American Ner-A-Car Corporation, from 1921 to 1927.

The Shefflex company was established in Sheffield, in 1918, as an off-shoot of the Sheffield Simplex Company. The Shefflex light lorry was produced from c1922 after the factory had changed ownership. Production ended in 1935.

Further Reading and References:-
Myers, S. Cars from Sheffield: the rise and fall of the Sheffield motor industry 1900 - 1930. Sheffield City Libraries, 1986.

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Key Words :- cars road vehicles automobiles engineering manufacture

Address :- Sheffield Road, Tinsley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S9 1BG
Grid Ref :- SK 40230 91437
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.418208 , Long -1.396155
Local Authority :- Sheffield City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1906 - c.1986
Record Date :- 29 December 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Vickers