The aircraft was designed by the racing driver (and world land speed record holder) Sir Henry Segrave as a twin-engine four-seat touring monoplane.

A wooden prototype, designated Saro Segrave Meteor I was built by Saunders Roe at Cowes.

Development was delayed by the death of the designer on 13 June 1930 in a speedboat accident.

With lack of space at Cowes and with the decision to build a metal version, two aircraft were built by Blackburn Aircraft at Brough Aerodrome with the designation Blackburn CA.18 Segrave.

Despite sales tours around Europe, the aircraft was not ordered, and only one further example was built.