Lanchester Ten
The Lanchester Ten and Lanchester Eleven were sold by The Lanchester Motor Company Limited from the Ten's announcement in September 1932 until 1951. Quite different from previous Lanchesters, the Ten was the second (it followed the Lanchester 15/18) of Lanchester's new owner's new Daimler-linked Lanchester range. The names Ten and Eleven referred to the engine's rating for the annual tax and did not relate to the engine's power output.
| Lanchester Ten LA10 | |
|---|---|
six-light saloon 1936 example | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | The Lanchester Motor Company Limited Sandy Lane, Radford, Coventry CV1 4DX |
| Production | Approximately 12,250 units mid-1932 to mid 1936 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Catalogued: 4-door six-light saloon 4-door four-light sports saloon 2-door 2+2-seater fixed head coupé 2-door 4-seater open car by Martin Walter Chassis provided for coachbuilders |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Lanchester 15/18, (Daimler Light Twenty 16/20), Daimler Fifteen, BSA Ten |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,203 cc (73.4 cu in) (and 1,444 cc (88.1 cu in), 1936 only) four-cylinder in-line overhead valve water-cooled |
| Transmission | 4-speed preselective Self-changing gearbox and Fluid Flywheel through an open propellor shaft to a worm-drive for the half-floating back axle |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 102+1⁄2 in (2,600 mm) track 48+1⁄2 in (1,230 mm) |
| Length | 157+1⁄2 in (4,000 mm) |
| Width | 57+3⁄4 in (1,470 mm) |
| Kerb weight | 21 long cwt (2,400 lb; 1,100 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | new model |
| Lanchester Ten engine | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | The Lanchester Motor Company Limited |
| Production | mid-1932 to mid-1935 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | 4-cylinder in-line |
| Displacement | 1,203 cubic centimetres (73 cu in) |
| Cylinder bore | 63.5 mm (2.50 in) |
| Piston stroke | 95 mm (3.7 in) |
| Cylinder block material | Cast-iron Aluminium-alloy pistons |
| Cylinder head material | Cast-iron detachable |
| Valvetrain | ohv operated by pushrods from a chain-driven camshaft |
| Compression ratio | 7.4:1 |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | carburettor with a circular cleaner and silencer on the intake, mounted high on the circular two-branch inlet manifold. The inlet manifold is joined at its centre to the exhaust manifold which has one twin and two single branches |
| Fuel type | Petrol mechanically pumped from an 8-gallon fuel tank at the rear |
| Oil system | full pressure lubrication |
| Cooling system | water circulates naturally and there is no fan for the honeycomb radiator which has a veed sloping casing with dummy shutters |
| Output | |
| Power output | 32 bhp (24 kW; 32 PS) @4,000 rpm |
| Torque output | 60 lbs. ft. @ 2,000 rpm |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | developed from Lanchester 15/18 (Daimler Light Twenty 16/20) |
| Successor | Lanchester Ten 11 hp engine |
Part of the thinking behind BSA's acquisition of Lanchester was, in consideration of the international economic depression, to extend the BSA group's range of cars into the sectors between those filled by Daimler and the three-wheeled 'cars' of BSA Cars without affecting Daimler's super-luxury image.
Ultimately the smallest Lanchester became far too expensive for the size of car it was, few were sold and production ended in 1951.