Strebor
Strebor was a Lancashire die-casting company that became known for metal toys and automotive locks sold under the Strebor and Stronis names.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Strebor, formally known as Strebor Diecasting, was a British die-casting company based in Radcliffe, Lancashire. Its origins date to 1926, when it was established as the Roberts Company. The name Strebor was derived from “Roberts” spelled backwards, creating a distinctive identity that was later used for both the company and its principal trade name. In 1933, the business changed its name to Strebor Diecasting Company. The company operated in metal manufacturing and adapted its output to changing market conditions. During the Second World War, Strebor produced war material, although the available reference material does not specify the precise products or contracts involved. After the war, it turned to consumer goods, including metal toys. This post-war production connected the company to the broader British tradition of pressed, cast, and formed metal toys, but the available sources do not identify individual toy ranges or brands. Strebor later developed a more specialized position in automotive hardware. During the 1960s and 1970s, it gained widespread notice as a manufacturer of cylinder locks and other locking devices for the motor trade. These products were marketed under the STREBOR and STRONIS trade names. Strebor locks were fitted to British cars, including the Mini, giving the company visibility beyond industrial manufacturing and associating its name with practical vehicle security components. The business eventually entered a period of decline. The reference material describes a rundown of the company and industrial-relations problems in its later years, but does not provide enough detail to characterize specific disputes, settlements, or management decisions. Strebor was finally dissolved in 2003 or 2004. The differing year description reflects the available source wording rather than a confirmed single dissolution date. Strebor is therefore best understood as a defunct British industrial and automotive-component brand rather than a contemporary consumer brand. Its historical significance rests on the progression from general die casting and wartime production to post-war metal toys and, most notably, automotive locks and locking devices used in British vehicles.
History
Strebor was a die-casting business associated with Radcliffe in Lancashire, England. It began in 1926 under the name Roberts Company. The later name Strebor was created by reversing the spelling of Roberts, providing the company with a distinctive corporate and trading identity. In 1933, the business formally adopted the name Strebor Diecasting Company. Its early work was based on die casting and related metal manufacturing. During the Second World War, Strebor made war material. The available historical account does not identify the exact articles produced, the customers involved, or the scale of this work, so the wartime phase can only be described at a general level. After the war, the company redirected part of its production toward metal toys, reflecting the return of manufacturing capacity to civilian goods. The company subsequently became particularly associated with locks. During the 1960s and 1970s, Strebor achieved wider recognition as a maker of cylinder locks and locking devices for the motor trade. The products appeared under the STREBOR and STRONIS trade names. Their use on British cars, including the Mini, placed the company within the supply chain for British automotive equipment and made its products more visible to vehicle manufacturers, repair businesses, and motorists than its earlier general die-casting work may have been. The company later experienced decline. The reference account mentions a period of rundown and industrial-relations problems, without giving detailed information about the disputes, their participants, or their effects on particular facilities or product lines. Strebor was ultimately dissolved in 2003 or 2004. The source presents both years in connection with the final dissolution, and no more precise date is established here. Strebor’s history illustrates the changing role of a mid-sized British metalworking company: it moved from general die casting, through wartime production and post-war toys, into a specialist automotive-components business. Although it no longer operates, its name survives historically through the STREBOR and STRONIS locking products associated with British cars, especially the Mini.
- 2003
Final dissolution period
[1]Strebor was finally dissolved in 2003 or 2004 after a period of decline and reported industrial-relations problems.
- 1960
Automotive locking products gain prominence
[1]During the 1960s and 1970s, the company became widely known for cylinder locks and other locking devices supplied to the motor trade.
- 1933
Company renamed Strebor Diecasting Company
[1]The company changed its name from the Roberts Company to Strebor Diecasting Company. The Strebor name was derived from Roberts spelled backwards.
- 1926
Roberts Company founded
[1]The business that later became Strebor was founded in Radcliffe, Lancashire, as the Roberts Company.
Wartime manufacturing
[1]During the Second World War, Strebor produced war material; the available source does not specify the exact products.
Post-war production of metal toys
[1]After the war, Strebor expanded or redirected production toward metal toys.
Products and positioning
A British industrial manufacturer whose strongest historical market position was in automotive locks and locking devices, with earlier activity in wartime metal production and metal toys.
Industrial manufacturing · 1926
Die-cast metal components
Die-cast metal components formed the foundation of Strebor’s business. The available sources identify the company as a die-casting manufacturer but do not provide a catalogue of specific parts, alloys, dimensions, or customer sectors for its earliest production.
Defence-related manufacturing
Wartime metal products
During the Second World War, Strebor made war material. The historical reference does not identify the individual items or contracts, so this line is documented only as a broad wartime manufacturing activity.
Toys
Metal toys
Following the war, Strebor produced metal toys for the civilian market. No specific toy models, ranges, retailers, or dates of introduction are identified in the available material.
Automotive security hardware · 1960
STREBOR automotive locks
STREBOR-branded products included cylinder locks and other locking devices made for the motor trade. Strebor locks were fitted to British cars, including the Mini, during the company’s most publicly visible period in the 1960s and 1970s.
Automotive security hardware · 1960
STRONIS automotive locking devices
STRONIS was a trade name used for Strebor’s automotive locking products. The available account associates the name with cylinder locks and related devices supplied to the motor trade, but does not list individual product models.
Sources1 sources
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