Straker-Squire

[2] In 1907 the company moved into a new factory on Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, at first to manufacture commercial vehicles, including large numbers of early London Buses, and a French car design under licence.

The company built staff cars and lorries during the war and afterwards, all production moved to Edmonton in North London in 1919.

The rear wheels were large in diameter and constructed on the traction engine pattern, with two rows of narrow built-up spokes.

As these wheels were too large to fit under the load deck of the wagon, they were mounted outboard of it, requiring an extra-long axle.

The transmission was relatively crude, using open gears rather than the enclosed oil-bath that was in use amongst other makers,[3] and indeed used for the high-speed engine of their 2-ton light tractor.

This also made the boiler's water level less sensitive to tilting when hill climbing, a great concern for many wagon makes.

Straker's nephew H "Bertie" Kensington Moir of Aston Martin fame tested the prototype at Brooklands and set a class record lap at 103.76 mph.

The general manager of the Teesside Railless Traction Board developed a new and improved trolleybus design[15] and Clough, Smith arranged for it to be manufactured.

[16] The chassis was manufactured by Straker-Squire, the electrical equipment by BTH of Rugby, Warwickshire, and Clough, Smith arranged production of the bodies.

The whole would be sold to system operators as part of a package deal which included the design, supply and installation of the overhead electrical equipment.

After car production ended in 1926 a limited number of bus and truck chassis and Straker-Clough trolley buses were also built.