BSA Cars

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1933 BSA Model 9 3-Wheel Automobile	1933 BSA Model 9 3-Wheel Automobile 1933 BSA Model 9 3-Wheel Automobile Photo By: Douglas Wilkinson Location: The National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. by Douglas

B.S.A. Cycles, Ltd History

The Birmingham Small Arms Company (B.S.A.) was first incorporated in 1861 and was engaged in the manufacture of rifles, shotguns, and machine guns. In 1880, B.S.A. began to build bicycles to the specifications of outside designers, followed by the design and introduction of their own safety cycle in 1885. Except for a brief gap in 1888-1893, B.S.A. bicycles were manufactured continuously until 1982, although under the ownership of Raleigh Industries after 1956.

B.S.A. first became involved with automobiles in 1900 when it made components for Roots and Venables Motor Car Company. The company then went into small scale production in 1907 and introduced their first car, a 4-cylinder in 1908.

In 1929, B.S.A. Cycles, Ltd. launched their three-wheeler designed by F.W. Hulse and powered by a 1021cc vee-twin engine. The engine drove the front wheels which were independently sprung by transverse springs. From 1929 to 1936, 5,200 two-cyclinder models and 1,700 four-cylinder models were sold.

While B.S.A. motorcycle production survived into the 1970s, automobile manufacturing ceased in 1939.

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