Alberford

Alberford was an English automobile marque associated with Albert Bridge Garage in Chelsea, London. The cars were produced for a brief period of approximately 1922 to 1924, during the early post-First World War expansion of the British motor industry. The marque occupied the market for relatively compact owner-driven cars and promoted its vehicles with the phrase “the ideal owner-driver car.” The Alberford was based on a lengthened, and possibly lowered, chassis derived from the Ford Model T. This approach combined an established mass-produced automotive foundation with modifications intended to create a more distinctive British sporting and touring car. The vehicle used wire wheels and a radiator styled in the manner of Rolls-Royce automobiles, features that were intended to give it a more substantial and upscale appearance than a standard Model T-derived car. Its engine was converted to overhead-valve operation, representing a mechanical alteration from the conventional Model T arrangement. A claimed maximum speed of 75 mph, or approximately 120 km/h, was reported for the car. The available bodywork and pricing covered more than one configuration. Contemporary listed prices ranged from £253 for a two-seater to £500 for a saloon, indicating a broad spread between an entry-level open body and a more expensive enclosed version. The Alberford appears to have remained a small-scale and short-lived undertaking. Available reference material does not establish a separate corporate owner, a confirmed founder, production volumes, a formal model range beyond the body configurations, or a continuing successor marque. Production is generally dated to about 1922–1924, after which the brand disappeared from the market. It is therefore best understood as a minor British automobile make of the 1920s rather than as a continuing automotive company or internationally established brand.

Alberford was an English car manufactured at Albert Bridge Garage in Chelsea, London, during approximately 1922 to 1924. The marque emerged at a time when Britain supported numerous small automobile manufacturers and coachbuilders, many of which adapted existing mechanical components rather than developing entirely new platforms. Alberford followed this general pattern by using a lengthened and possibly lowered chassis derived from the Ford Model T. The Model T basis provided a readily available and familiar foundation, while the Alberford modifications were intended to make the resulting car more distinctive and suitable for the British market. The car was fitted with wire wheels and a radiator styled after Rolls-Royce practice. Its engine was converted to overhead-valve operation, a change that differentiated the car mechanically from the standard Model T configuration and supported the marque’s performance-oriented presentation. Alberford marketed the vehicle as “the ideal owner-driver car,” linking it to the growing appeal of motorists who wanted to drive and maintain their own cars rather than rely on a chauffeur. A top speed of 75 mph, equivalent to about 120 km/h, was claimed. The model was offered in body forms that included a two-seater and a saloon. Reported prices ranged from £253 for the two-seater to £500 for the saloon, showing that the marque addressed both a relatively accessible open-car format and a more expensive enclosed version. The available historical record is limited. It does not identify a confirmed founder, a separate manufacturing company, production totals, dealer network, or detailed year-by-year model development. There is also no reliable evidence in the supplied reference material of a later acquisition, relaunch, or successor business. Production is generally placed at about 1922–1924, making Alberford one of the many short-lived British automobile marques of the interwar period. The brand is now defunct and is principally of interest in the history of British motor manufacturing and Model T-based specialist cars.

• 1924

  Approximate end of production

  [1]Alberforden.wikipedia.org

  The short production run is generally considered to have ended by about 1924.

• 1922

  Approximate start of production

  [1]Alberforden.wikipedia.org

  Alberford automobiles began appearing from Albert Bridge Garage in Chelsea, London, according to the approximate production dating associated with the marque.

• 1922

  Introduction of the Model T-derived car

  [1]Alberforden.wikipedia.org

  The Alberford was developed around a lengthened and possibly lowered Ford Model T-derived chassis, with wire wheels, a Rolls-Royce-style radiator, and an overhead-valve engine conversion.

A small British owner-driver automobile positioned with upgraded styling and performance claims, using a modified Ford Model T-derived chassis and body styles ranging from a two-seater to a saloon.

• Passenger car · 1922

  Alberford

  The principal Alberford automobile was based on a lengthened and possibly lowered Ford Model T chassis. It used wire wheels, a radiator styled in the manner of Rolls-Royce cars, and an engine converted to overhead-valve operation. The car was promoted as an owner-driver vehicle and was associated with a claimed top speed of 75 mph, or approximately 120 km/h. Body configurations included a two-seater priced at £253 and a saloon priced at £500 in the reported period pricing.

1. 1Alberforden.wikipedia.org