Albion

The name "Albion" has long made the company a national leader, and during two wars it remained the most demanded in the UK market.

The Albion brand has been one of the most renowned car manufacturers in Scotland for 50 years. At the moment, the firm is not involved in the automotive industry, but it has left its mark on British history.

The history of the brand begins in 1899, when it was founded by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Fulton. The idea of the name owes its origin to the father of Thomas, who was the sponsor of the creation of the company.

1900 saw the creation of the first passenger car. It cannot be said that it was particularly attractive - it was a crew for 4 passengers with wooden wheels. It had an 8 hp engine. with., and a long handle was used to control the front wheels.

After 4 years, the company's business went uphill, and the Albion brand could already afford to move to another place, more comfortable and spacious. In 1910, the company produced its most famous truck - the A10, weighing 3 tons, with a 32 hp engine. from. The outbreak of World War I made Albion the most famous and sought-after company, as the army acquired 6,000 of these trucks.

Prosperous by the 20s, the company has chosen for itself the motto and emblem with Japanese flavor: "Reliable as the sunrise." The lettering was surrounded by sunbeams and became a decoration for the produced trucks. The help of the famous and successful at that time brand did not refuse during the Second World War. The army still needed trucks. Their cab was located above the engine, and the four-wheel drive ensured cross-country ability. The most famous models are the FT11 and FT15, the first of which was an ordinary 3-ton truck, and the second was an artillery tractor.

The prosperity of the Albion brand was threatened when it was bought by Leyland in 1951. Under its influence, Albion produced fewer original cars, gradually only old models remained in production.

The only car of its own production - "Kalidonien" - was developed in 1957 and had a carrying capacity of 16.5 tons. However, here the influence of "Leyland" limited the originality of the car only to the modernized chassis, the cab and diesel were provided by the new owner. Leyland's Octopus truck was far behind the Kalidonien in terms of performance, so management began to optimize the entire line. This meant that there was no longer a need for Albion models.

By the 70s of the last century, the two companies were identical in configuration, the merger continued until the closure of Albion in 1972.

In the twenty-first century, the Albion brand belongs to American Axle & Manufacturing and provides components for the automotive industry. The production of cars themselves is a thing of the past. The company is a manufacturer of axles, transmission systems, chassis, crankshafts and other spare parts.

The most famous and popular were trucks. They made up the main profit of the company. Buses were a coupled model, which enjoyed no less success. Among them were two-story ones. Now on the official website of the company provide services for the maintenance of large vehicles, SUVs.

The name "Albion" has long made the company a national leader, and during two wars it remained the most demanded in the UK market. Albion co-owner Murray became the author of a device that lubricates the operating mechanisms of the engine. He patented it, which brought the company to a new level.