Star Motor Company
[3] In 1889 the company purchased a factory on Stewart Street and by 1899, production reached 10,000 cycles per year, and by 1904 Star was the largest Wolverhampton based bicycle manufacturer.
The early vehicles were heavily influenced by existing car makers and the 1898 3.5 was essentially a single-cylinder 3.5 hp Benz and often called the Star-Benz; it had two speeds, chain drive, wire spoke wheels, acetylene lighting, electric ignition, and Clipper pneumatic tires standard, for £189.
[5] Star then purchased the rights to produce Star-Benz cars in Wolverhampton and began production at the Stewart Street Works.
In 1903, copying the leading maker, Mercedes, Star introduced a 12 hp four, and set a record of 39 mph (63 km/h) on a 2-mile (3.2 km) run in County Cork, Ireland, under the auspices of the Irish Automobile Club.
In addition, two Stars ran in the Isle of Man qualifying races for the Gordon Bennett Cup; neither 10-litre car made it.
[5] The main Star company continued to make well engineered models up to the outbreak of war in 1914 adding a range of vans and trucks to the output and became one of the six largest British car makers.
[2] The Star Cycle Company run by Lisle's son, also called Edward, had continued in business building bicycles and motorcycles and in 1905 entered the car industry in its own right.
[5] In 1912, Star introduced the torpedo-bodied 15.9 hp, with a 3016 cc (184 ci; 80x150mm) four and new bullnosed radiator; originally for export, it proved aesthetically pleasing, and was adopted for all models.
Commercial vehicles were made for the British, French and Russian armies but Star's main contribution was the production of aircraft wings and parts for mines.
In 1918 the company accepted an order to produce 400 V8 Renault engines but had only built 12 by the time the war ended and military contracts were cancelled.
[14] Despite these setbacks, Stars entered two 11.9hps in the Scottish Six Days' Light Car Trials, placing first and second in the hands of R. Lisle and G.G.Cathie; the winner was sold to New Zealand, where it proved dominant in local racing, while a different 11.9 swept the Australian 1000 Mile Alpine Test.
[5] This car developed into the 1945 cc (119ci) 12/25 in 1924, followed by a pushrod overhead valve 12/40 with four-wheel brakes (then a rarity) and four-speed gearbox, capable of 80 mph (129 km/h).
As a result of this Star entered a financially precarious state and in 1928 fellow Wolverhampton manufacturer Guy Motors took control through an exchange of shares.
From here came the new 18/50, a 2470 cc (ci) six, with wet cylinder liners, duralumin connecting rods, aluminium pistons, seven bearing crankshaft, which in 1930 were redone as the Comet and Planet.
However a loss was still being made on every model sold and with Guy having their own financial troubles they could not afford to modernise Star's Bushbury plant.
[3] The spares and manufacturing rights of the company were sold off to McKenzie and Denley (Birmingham), which continued to have Star cars and NOS parts catalogued in 1962.,[5] while the Bushbury factory was acquired by Manley & Regulus, who produced plumbing fittings.
