Sheffield-Simplex
A British automobile, commercial-vehicle and motorcycle manufacturer that operated from Sheffield and later Kingston upon Thames during the early twentieth century.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Sheffield-Simplex was a British manufacturer of cars, commercial vehicles, aircraft engines, armoured vehicles, munitions and motorcycles. The business operated primarily from 1907 to 1920 as a car manufacturer, with a later motorcycle operation continuing into the 1920s. Its principal Sheffield works were established at Tinsley with financial support from William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the aristocratic coal owner known as Earl Fitzwilliam. The company grew out of an earlier association between Fitzwilliam, Stanley Brotherhood and the London-based Brotherhood-Crocker automobile venture. Stanley Brotherhood had been involved in the Peter Brotherhood engineering business and had previously participated in the Brotherhood-Crocker cars. After the London automobile site was sold, the car enterprise was redirected toward Sheffield. Fitzwilliam suggested Sheffield as a manufacturing location, partly because of his local interests and nearby family estate. The first cars were associated with the earlier Brotherhood designs, but Peter Brotherhood withdrew from the car venture in late 1906. Subsequent vehicles were sold under the Sheffield-Simplex name. The first fully developed Sheffield-Simplex models appeared in 1908 under the direction of Percy Richardson, an engineer with previous experience at Daimler and Peter Brotherhood. The large LA1 used a six-cylinder engine of nearly seven litres and a three-speed transmission. The LA2 was a related model intended for lighter open bodies and used an unusual simplified transmission arrangement with one normal forward ratio and separate low and reverse gearing. The company positioned its products at the high end of the British market and regarded Rolls-Royce as its principal rival. It opened a London showroom near Rolls-Royce premises in Conduit Street, reflecting an ambition to compete in the prestige automobile sector. Sheffield-Simplex expanded its range in 1909 with smaller four- and six-cylinder cars, including the LA3, LA4, LA5 and LA6. These were short-lived and were replaced in 1911 by the six-cylinder LA7. The LA7 was developed into the LA7b, a 30-horsepower model with electric starting introduced before the First World War. Contemporary praise, including a favourable assessment in The Times in 1913, reflected the engineering reputation the company sought, although the business never achieved the scale or market strength of the leading luxury-car makers. The First World War shifted the company toward government and military work. Sheffield-Simplex produced armoured cars for Belgian and Russian forces, aircraft engines including the ABC Wasp and Dragonfly, and munitions. Civilian car production resumed after the war with the LA7b, renamed as the 30 hp, but sales were limited. A substantially larger 50 hp model followed in 1920, using a 7,777 cc six-cylinder engine whose cylinders were individually cast. The model appeared at the London Motor Show in 1921 and again in 1922, but probably only one example was produced. The company was liquidated after this period, and the 50 hp car was acquired by Earl Fitzwilliam in 1925. The enterprise also developed the Shefflex commercial vehicle, a 25 hp bus or omnibus designed to carry up to twenty passengers. Contemporary commentary considered its body too heavy for its intended commercial role, although the engine was described as smooth and responsive. Two rail-mounted Shefflex omnibuses were delivered to the West Sussex Railway in 1928, by which time the original car business had ceased. In 1923, Sheffield-Simplex opened a Kingston upon Thames factory for the Ner-a-Car motorcycle, an unconventional American-designed machine created by Carl Neracher. Its low, step-through layout placed the frame between the wheels and distinguished it from conventional motorcycles. Production continued until 1927. Sheffield-Simplex therefore represents both a brief British luxury-car experiment and a later attempt to extend the company's industrial identity into motorcycles and commercial vehicles. At least three Sheffield-Simplex cars are known to survive, including the unique 50 hp car displayed at Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield, a car formerly associated with Lord Riverdale, and an example held by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
History
Sheffield-Simplex emerged from the early British automobile activities connected with Stanley Brotherhood, Peter Brotherhood and Earl Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam had invested in the Brotherhood-Crocker cars built in London. After the London site was sold, Stanley Brotherhood moved the associated engineering business toward Peterborough, but permission to establish a car factory there was not obtained. Fitzwilliam instead recommended Sheffield, where a new factory was built at Tinsley. The earliest cars continued the Brotherhood-Crocker lineage. Peter Brotherhood withdrew from the automobile venture in late 1906, after which the cars were identified solely as Sheffield-Simplex. In 1908, managing director Percy Richardson introduced the LA1 and LA2. The LA1 was a large six-cylinder automobile with a 6,978 cc engine and three-speed gearbox. The LA2 used a simplified transmission system suited to lighter open bodies. These cars established the company's preference for technically distinctive, powerful vehicles. A larger range followed in 1909. The four-cylinder LA3 and long-wheelbase LA4 used 2,882 cc engines, while the six-cylinder LA5 and LA6 used 4,324 cc units. The smaller models were discontinued after about a year. In 1911, the company concentrated on the six-cylinder LA7, powered by a 4,740 cc engine. Sheffield-Simplex presented itself as a premium British producer and treated Rolls-Royce as its main competitor. Its London showroom was deliberately located close to Rolls-Royce's Conduit Street presence. The LA7 was revised as the LA7b in 1913. The updated car was rated at 30 horsepower and included electric starting. Warwick Wright served as joint managing director during this period. The earlier LA1 and LA2 were finally withdrawn in 1914. Before the war, the company had developed a reputation for advanced and imposing cars, although its production volume remained small. The First World War changed the factory's output. Sheffield-Simplex manufactured armoured cars supplied to Belgium and Russia, aircraft engines such as the ABC Wasp and Dragonfly, and munitions. Civilian automobile production resumed in 1919 with the LA7b, now called the 30 hp. Weak postwar demand meant that few were sold. The company then developed the 50 hp, a 7,777 cc six-cylinder car with separately cast cylinders. It was displayed at the London Motor Show in 1921 and 1922, but evidence indicates that only one was made. The company was liquidated after this period, and Fitzwilliam acquired the surviving 50 hp car in 1925. The company also pursued commercial vehicles. The Shefflex was a 25 hp, twenty-passenger omnibus. A contemporary assessment found the body heavier than ideal for commercial operation but regarded the engine as quiet, balanced and responsive. Two rail-mounted examples were supplied to the West Sussex Railway in 1928. Sheffield-Simplex's later motorcycle activity was based in Kingston upon Thames. In 1923 the company opened a factory to manufacture the Ner-a-Car, designed by American inventor Carl Neracher. Its low chassis and unusual layout differentiated it from standard motorcycles. Production continued until 1927. Surviving Sheffield-Simplex automobiles include the unique 50 hp car at Kelham Island Museum, a privately held car formerly associated with Lord Riverdale, and an example in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. The surviving vehicles and period accounts preserve the company's importance as a technically ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful British manufacturer.
- 1928
Shefflex rail omnibuses delivered
[1]Two rail-mounted Shefflex omnibuses were supplied to the West Sussex Railway.
- 1927
Ner-a-Car production ends
[1]Motorcycle production under the Sheffield-Simplex operation ended after the Kingston period.
- 1923
Ner-a-Car motorcycle production starts
[1]The company opened a Kingston upon Thames factory for production of Carl Neracher's low-chassis motorcycle.
- 1920
50 hp model developed
[1]A new 7,777 cc six-cylinder automobile was produced and subsequently exhibited at motor shows, apparently as a single example.
- 1919
Postwar automobile production resumes
[1]The LA7b returned to production under the 30 hp name, but limited sales constrained the business.
- 1914
Civilian range narrowed as wartime work begins
[1]The LA1 and LA2 were discontinued, while the company moved substantially into armoured vehicles, aircraft engines and munitions.
- 1913
LA7b introduced with electric starting
[1]The LA7 was updated to LA7b specification, rated at 30 horsepower and equipped with electric starting.
- 1911
LA7 replaces the short-lived smaller models
[1]The company consolidated its automobile range around the six-cylinder 25 hp LA7.
- 1909
Range expansion and aircraft-engine ambitions
[1]Four smaller car models joined the range, and the company announced designs for aircraft engines.
- 1908
LA1 and LA2 introduced
[1]Percy Richardson's first proper Sheffield-Simplex designs appeared, including a large six-cylinder LA1 and the unusual LA2.
Products and positioning
An ambitious British prestige and engineering marque positioned against high-end manufacturers, especially Rolls-Royce, while also pursuing military, commercial-vehicle and motorcycle applications.
Luxury automobile · 1908
LA1
The LA1 was one of the first fully developed Sheffield-Simplex cars, introduced in 1908. It used a large 6,978 cc six-cylinder engine and a three-speed gearbox, reflecting the company's intention to compete in the high-power, prestige segment of the British automobile market.
Luxury automobile · 1908
LA2
The LA2 was designed for lighter open bodies and employed an unconventional transmission arrangement. It provided one normal forward gear, with low and reverse available through a small gearbox mounted at the front of the differential housing. At least one example survives in private ownership.
Passenger automobile · 1909
LA3 and LA4
The LA3 and long-wheelbase LA4 were smaller four-cylinder additions introduced in 1909. They used 2,882 cc engines and distinctive Renault-style dashboard radiators. Both models had short production lives and were replaced by a more concentrated six-cylinder strategy.
Passenger automobile · 1909
LA5 and LA6
The LA5 and LA6 were six-cylinder models introduced alongside the smaller LA3 and LA4. Their 4,324 cc power units placed them between the company's compact offerings and its largest cars. They were withdrawn after approximately one year.
Luxury automobile · 1911
LA7 and LA7b
The LA7 became the central Sheffield-Simplex model from 1911. It used a 4,740 cc six-cylinder engine and was later revised as the LA7b, a 30 hp version with electric starting. Production resumed after the First World War, but sales remained limited.
Luxury automobile · 1920
50 hp
The 50 hp was the company's final major automobile design. Introduced around 1920, it used a 7,777 cc six-cylinder engine with separately cast cylinders. The car was exhibited at the London Motor Show in 1921 and 1922, and it is believed that only one was produced.
Commercial omnibus
Shefflex
The Shefflex was a 25 hp commercial vehicle designed as a twenty-passenger omnibus. Contemporary reporting regarded its body as heavier than ideal but described the engine as quiet, balanced and responsive. Rail-mounted examples were later supplied to the West Sussex Railway.
Motorcycle · 1923
Ner-a-Car
The Ner-a-Car was an unconventional motorcycle designed by American Carl Neracher. Its low chassis dropped between the wheels, giving it a distinctive step-through and low-slung configuration. Sheffield-Simplex produced the motorcycle at a factory in Kingston upon Thames from 1923 until 1927.
Brand decisions
1923
Enter motorcycle manufacturing through the Ner-a-CarStrategyBackground
After the decline of the automobile business, the company pursued a different product category based on Carl Neracher's unconventional motorcycle design.
Action taken
A new Kingston upon Thames factory was opened for Ner-a-Car production.
Aftermath
Motorcycle production continued until 1927, extending the company's industrial activity beyond its original Sheffield automobile operation.
1920
Develop the 50 hp flagshipProduct launchBackground
Postwar sales of the LA7b-derived 30 hp were weak, encouraging a new and more imposing design.
Action taken
Sheffield-Simplex produced the 50 hp with a 7,777 cc six-cylinder engine and presented it at later London motor shows.
Aftermath
The model appears to have been produced only once, and the company was subsequently liquidated.
1914
Shift production toward wartime contractsStrategyBackground
The First World War reduced the relevance of civilian luxury-car production and created demand for military and industrial equipment.
Action taken
The company produced armoured cars, aircraft engines and munitions, including engines identified as the ABC Wasp and Dragonfly.
Aftermath
Sheffield-Simplex gained wartime manufacturing work but had to rebuild its civilian automobile business after the conflict.
1911
Concentrate the range on six-cylinder carsStrategyBackground
The smaller LA3 through LA6 models had brief production runs and did not remain central to the company's product strategy.
Action taken
Sheffield-Simplex replaced them with the six-cylinder LA7 and emphasized large, prestigious automobiles.
Aftermath
The company strengthened its premium positioning and publicly treated Rolls-Royce as its principal rival, although production remained small.
1906
Separate the automobile operation from Peter BrotherhoodStrategyBackground
Peter Brotherhood withdrew from the car venture after the earlier Brotherhood-Crocker association and the relocation of the engineering business.
Action taken
The former Brotherhood cars continued under the Sheffield-Simplex name, with production organized around the new Sheffield works.
Aftermath
This created the independent Sheffield-Simplex identity and led to the company's first purpose-developed models in 1908.
Sources1 sources
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