| The company was established by George Singer in | | | | The ‘Nine’ became the ‘Bantam’ in |
| Coventry to make bicycles in 1875. | | | | 1935. |
| In 1909 Singer built a series of racers and roadsters | | | | However, a multiple car crash at the Ards TT in 1935, |
| and entered several bikes in races, including the Isle of | | | | which was the result of last minute steering box |
| Man Senior TT in 1914. George E. Stanley broke the | | | | adjustments ordered by race judges as they had |
| one hour record at Brooklands race track on a Singer | | | | deemed the steering to be illegal, caused Singer to |
| motorcycle in 1912, becoming the first ever rider of a | | | | leave car racing, and the financial crash hurt Singer |
| 350cc motorcycle to cover over sixty miles in an hour. | | | | sales. Factories closed and the company was |
| Singer made their first four wheel car in 1905. It was | | | | restructured in 1936 as Singer Motors Ltd, A short lived |
| made under licence from Lea-Francis and had a 3 | | | | attempt at a four cylinder 1.5 litre sports car was one |
| cylinder 1400 cc engine. The first Singer designed car | | | | of the few high spots of the later 1930s with the range |
| was the 4 cylinder 2.4 litre 12/14 of 1906. The engine | | | | consisting of just three basic saloon cars (plus |
| was bought in from Aster. For 1907 the Lea-Francis | | | | derivatives) the Bantam, 10hp and 12hp. The model |
| design was dropped and a range of two, three and | | | | that changed it was the introduction of the Roadster in |
| four cylinder models using White and Poppe engines | | | | March 1939, the same year that World War 2 broke |
| launched. The Aster engined models were dropped in | | | | out. |
| 1909 and a new range of larger cars introduced. All | | | | Singer plants again produced a wide variety of arms |
| cars were now White and Poppe powered. In 1911 | | | | and aero equipment, but financially the company was |
| the first big seller appeared with the 1100cc | | | | not in good shape at the end of the war, and |
| ‘Ten’ with Singer's own engine. The use of | | | | maintained a limited product line. |
| their own power plants spread through the range until | | | | In 1948 the all new ‘SM1500’ with independent |
| by the outbreak of the World War I all models except | | | | front suspension and a separate chassis was |
| the low-volume 3.3 litre 20hp were so equipped. | | | | announced, which was based on American styling. It |
| Singer’s first successful car was the | | | | was, however, expensive at £799, and failed to sell |
| ‘Ten’. Introduced in 1912, which offered a | | | | well as Singer's rivals also got back into full production. |
| steel chassis, four cylinder engine, and two seats; the | | | | The car was restyled to become the ‘Hunter’ in |
| economical car achieved 40 mpg, which was quite | | | | 1954. The ‘Hunter’ was available with a twin |
| high for any time in automotive history, and was | | | | overhead cam version of the engine, but few were |
| apparently more reliable than many competitors, | | | | made. |
| thanks partly to its steel frame and partly to its more | | | | Despite the Hunter's success, Singer never recovered |
| modern rear transaxle. | | | | from the events of the 1930s, and in 1955 was in |
| Factory apprentice, Billy Rootes bought fifty of these | | | | danger of closing its doors as banks refused to lend |
| cars when they were first produced. He used the | | | | more money. Ignoring the fate of others who had |
| profits from reselling them to start a motoring empire | | | | done the same, the Singer brand was absorbed into |
| that would acquire and integrate many other British car | | | | the Rootes Group whose brands largely sold badge |
| companies before floundering. | | | | engineered versions of each other’s cars. |
| Singer stopped building motorcycles at the outbreak of | | | | Sir William Rootes, as he was more properly known |
| the First World War. As with most companies, the | | | | as, set about modernising the firm, and his first actions |
| factory was devoted to producing war materials, and | | | | were to sell off the old models to introduce a new |
| profits soared and for the first time since introducing | | | | range. The first of the new cars was the 1956 |
| cars to the range, the company were in a healthy | | | | Gazelle. |
| financial state. Civilian production resumed after the | | | | The Gazelle was what Singer needed however as it |
| war, with a wider range of vehicles; and by the 1920s, | | | | was much more up to date than Hunter which it had |
| the range was quite diverse (and more modern; for | | | | replaced. The old Singer OHC engine was replaced in |
| example, the gearbox was moved forward). | | | | the series IIa by the Hillman push-rod unit, leaving the |
| The big selling ‘Junior’ was announced in 1926. | | | | Gazelle as little more than a badge-engineered |
| Production of the model commenced using an 848 cc | | | | Hillman. As sales of the Gazelle increased so did the |
| chain driven single overhead camshaft engine that | | | | need for a larger car to supplement the range, so in |
| was to be the basis for many other engines in later | | | | 1961 the Vogue was introduced. The Vogue was |
| decades, and the car was similar to the Austin 7. | | | | more of a luxury car then the smaller Gazelle and was |
| The range continued in a complex manner using | | | | aimed at those who wanted something a bit above |
| developments of the OHC ‘Junior’ engine first | | | | the ordinary. It was well equipped, solid and |
| with the ‘Nine’, the 14/6 and the sporty 1.5 litre | | | | comfortable, to try and retain the same buyers who |
| known as the ‘Le Mans’ in 1933. | | | | were attracted to the Hunter in previous years for the |
| The ‘Le Mans’ typified the small British Sports | | | | same reasons. |
| car of the 1930s, from its twin spare wheels mounted | | | | By 1970, however, even Rootes were struggling. |
| behind a large slab fuel tank, knock-off wire wheels, a | | | | They had been acquired by the American Chrysler |
| sprung steering wheel and fold flat windscreen. It | | | | organisation and Sir William had died. In April 1970, as |
| meant business, and both it and its four seater sister, | | | | part of a rationalisation process, the last Singer rolled |
| the ‘Nine Sports’, became a big hit on the trials | | | | off the assembly line, almost 100 years after George |
| hills and racetracks. | | | | Singer built the very first cycle. |