Strachan and Brown

Strachan and Brown were an English coach building partnership and then a limited liability company from 1894 to 1974.

The partnership also made bodies for various coach built car brands such as those from Lanchester Motor Company and Delaunay-Belleville.

The car was manufactured in Park Royal, London from 1911 to 1915 by the coachbuilders Brown, Hughes and Strachan.

[3][4] A prototype stretcher carrier, using the Aberdonia chassis, was made in September 1914 with the outbreak of World War One.

In order to meet the war time demand Brown, Hughes & Strachan left its traditional facilities in Kensington at the end of 1914 and moved into a new 12,000 m² (3 acres ) site in the London district of Park Royal.

A fresh partnership was set up by Strachan and Brown after the fire to continue the business at their old premises in Holland Gate, Kensington, London.

[2] Strachen is noted as having patented a window that could be removed from the body work without disturbing it, an all weather roof for open top buses, and sprung bodywork to dampen vibrations from the chassis.

During World War 2 Strachans made a mobile kitchen for the National Fire Service and a Guy Arab chassised utility bus body.

[4] Following the war, in conjunction with S Grahame Ross Ltd, Strachans developed a less complicated way of fabrication enabling interchangeability of panels by lower skilled workers.

[4] That same year Strachans introduced the 41 seater Srathrae body, which was first used on a AEC Regal IV chassis.

[4] Through this time Strachans also produced other types of commercial and specialist vehicles included bulk egg transporters and milk tankers.

Strachans also built a variety of other specialised bodies including battery electric milk floats, personnel carriers for UNICEF, platform wagons for British Road Services, and double decker racing car carrier.

[4] In the early 70's sales had fallen and this, coupled with a strike in 1973, led to the parent company closing the factory down in mid 1974.