Carden

Carden was a British cyclecar marque produced during the early development of lightweight motor vehicles in the United Kingdom. It was created by Carden Engineering, the company associated with Sir John Carden, a prolific British designer whose later career included work on tanks. The marque’s early products were compact four-wheeled cyclecars intended to provide relatively simple and economical motoring through lightweight construction, small engines and uncomplicated drivetrains. Carden’s first design was a wooden-bodied single-seater powered by a 481 cc single-cylinder JAP engine. The engine drove the rear axle by belt, and the initial configuration had no gearbox. The design was reportedly first built by Carden at his home. Demand led the operation to move from its original base in Farnham, Surrey, to larger premises in Teddington, Middlesex, in February 1914. The move marked the transition from an individual engineering project to a more organized manufacturing operation. A Carden Monocar was tested and reported on by The Motor Cycle in October 1914. The vehicle tested, registered MXY1, used an air-cooled 5 horsepower V-twin JAP engine mounted behind the rear axle. It had a single fixed gear in the test configuration and transmitted power by chain. The rear axle did not have a differential. Other models could be specified with gearing, using a mechanical arrangement that selected between chain sprockets rather than a conventional gearbox. These characteristics illustrate the engineering compromises common among cyclecars: low weight and mechanical simplicity were prioritized over refinement and conventional automobile equipment. In 1916, the Carden design and factory were sold to Ward and Avey Ltd. The purchaser renamed the vehicle the AV and continued manufacturing it until approximately 1924. Production of the Carden and AV versions may have reached about 1,000 vehicles, although the available historical account presents this figure as an estimate rather than a confirmed production total. The change of ownership was therefore a major turning point: the original Carden identity gave way to a successor marque while the underlying design continued in production. Sir John Carden returned to cyclecar design after the sale. In 1919 he created another cyclecar and sold it later that year to Tamplin. He developed a further model that was sold to Arnott and Harrison in 1922; those owners marketed it as the New Carden and manufactured it until 1925. The Carden name consequently survived through successor products and licensing or ownership transfers, but the original Carden Engineering operation did not develop into a lasting mass-market automobile company. The marque is now a historical example of Britain’s cyclecar industry and of the entrepreneurial engineering work that preceded Carden’s later involvement in military vehicle design.

Carden emerged from the British cyclecar movement, when small manufacturers used lightweight construction and motorcycle-derived engines to offer a less expensive alternative to full-sized cars. The marque was created by Carden Engineering and centered on the work of Sir John Carden. Before becoming known for later engineering projects, Carden designed compact cyclecars intended to combine basic road transport with a relatively low mechanical and manufacturing burden. The first Carden was a wooden-bodied single-seater powered by a 481 cc single-cylinder JAP engine. Its rear axle was driven by a belt and the original version had no gearbox. Carden initially built the vehicles at home, but demand was sufficient to require a move to larger premises. The company relocated from Farnham, Surrey, to Teddington, Middlesex, in February 1914. This move placed production on a more substantial footing and preceded contemporary road testing and press coverage. In October 1914, The Motor Cycle reported on a Carden Monocar under trial. The tested vehicle, registered MXY1, used an air-cooled 5 horsepower V-twin JAP engine positioned behind the rear axle. Its test configuration had only one gear, while other versions could be supplied with gearing. Instead of a conventional gearbox, the optional arrangement selected different chain sprockets. The engine transmitted power to the rear axle by chain, and the axle lacked a differential. Such features kept the vehicle light and mechanically straightforward but also distinguished it from more conventional automobiles. The original Carden operation changed ownership in 1916, when Ward and Avey Ltd purchased the design and factory. The new owners renamed the vehicle the AV and continued production until about 1924. The available historical record suggests that combined production of the Carden and AV versions may have approached 1,000 vehicles, though the figure is not presented as a definitive factory total. The transaction ended the first phase of the Carden marque while extending the underlying design into a successor product. Carden continued designing cyclecars after the 1916 sale. In 1919 he produced another cyclecar and sold it later in the same year to Tamplin. In 1922, a further model was sold to Arnott and Harrison. That company produced the vehicle as the New Carden until 1925. These successive transfers show how cyclecar designs could move among small British manufacturers, with the designer, factory, model and trade name not always remaining under a single long-term corporate owner. The Carden story is therefore less a history of a large integrated automobile company than a history of a designer-led marque and a series of related small-scale manufacturing arrangements. Its vehicles occupied the lightweight end of the early British automobile market, relying on motorcycle-style JAP engines, minimal bodywork and simplified transmissions. The brand eventually disappeared as a current manufacturer, while its name remained relevant in historical accounts of British cyclecars and of Sir John Carden’s early engineering career.

• 1925

  New Carden production ended

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  Arnott and Harrison continued making the New Carden until approximately 1925.

• 1922

  Arnott and Harrison acquired a later model

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  Arnott and Harrison acquired a later Carden model and sold it as the New Carden.

• 1919

  A new Carden design was sold to Tamplin

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  Sir John Carden sold a cyclecar design developed in 1919 to Tamplin later that year.

• 1916

  Ward and Avey acquired the operation

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  Ward and Avey Ltd bought the Carden design and factory and continued production under the AV name.

• 1914

  Carden Engineering moved from Farnham to Teddington

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  Demand for the early Carden cyclecar led to a move to larger premises in Teddington, Middlesex, in February 1914.

• 1914

  Carden Monocar tested and reported

  [1]Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org

  The Motor Cycle reported on a Carden Monocar trial in October, describing a lightweight vehicle with a JAP V-twin engine and chain drive.

A lightweight, mechanically simple British cyclecar marque aimed at economical personal transport during the 1910s and early 1920s.

• Cyclecar · 1914

  Carden Monocar

  The Carden Monocar was a compact four-wheeled cyclecar associated with the marque’s early production. A vehicle tested in 1914 used an air-cooled 5 horsepower V-twin JAP engine mounted behind the rear axle. Power was transmitted by chain, the test vehicle had a single gear, and the rear axle had no differential. Other versions could use a selectable sprocket arrangement to provide alternative gearing.

• Cyclecar · 1916

  AV

  The AV was the successor name applied by Ward and Avey Ltd after acquiring the Carden design and factory in 1916. It represented continued manufacture of the Carden-derived vehicle under new ownership. Production reportedly continued until about 1924, although detailed production records are not provided in the available reference.

• Cyclecar · 1922

  New Carden

  The New Carden was a later Carden-related cyclecar acquired and manufactured by Arnott and Harrison. Sir John Carden sold the relevant model to the company in 1922, after which it was marketed under the New Carden name. Production continued until approximately 1925.

• 1922

  Sale of a later model to Arnott and HarrisonM&A

  Background

  Sir John Carden developed a further cyclecar after the 1919 transfer to Tamplin.

  Action taken

  The later model was sold to Arnott and Harrison in 1922.

  Aftermath

  Arnott and Harrison marketed the vehicle as the New Carden and made it until approximately 1925.

  Source

• 1919

  Sale of a later Carden cyclecar to TamplinM&A

  Background

  After the earlier Carden design had passed to Ward and Avey, Sir John Carden developed another cyclecar in 1919.

  Action taken

  Carden sold the new design to Tamplin later in 1919.

  Aftermath

  The transfer continued the pattern of Carden-related designs being produced by other specialist manufacturers.

  Source

• 1916

  Sale of the Carden design and factory to Ward and AveyM&A

  Background

  The original Carden operation had developed a lightweight cyclecar design and established production in Teddington. The available account states that Ward and Avey Ltd purchased both the design and factory in 1916.

  Action taken

  Ward and Avey renamed the vehicle the AV and continued manufacturing it.

  Aftermath

  Production of the successor vehicle continued until about 1924. Combined production of Carden and AV vehicles may have reached approximately 1,000, although this is an estimate.

  Source

1. 1Carden (cyclecar)en.wikipedia.org