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MEMORIES of THE BLACK COUNTRY

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Thompson Bros 
(Bilston) Ltd.

Bradley Engineering Works, Bilston

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Thompson Bros' cars

In the early 1920s there was a boom in cycle cars and Thompsons entered this market with a three wheeled, open, two seater cycle car which had an entirely original design concept.

This advert appeared in the Motor Cycle on 5th May 1921 and shows the 8/10 hp three wheeler. Not surprisingly the emphasis is on economy.  You could get an air cooled or a water cooled engine.  Advert This was the sports model, with only one seat and a centrally placed steering wheel.  But at the back there was an emergency seat for a passenger or "ample room for ... luggage, guns, fishing tackle or golf clubs". Sports Car

Near the works was a piece of disused land, composed of small hillocks and a few rough and rutted paths.  This was used as the testing ground for the cars.  This lead to a very reliable vehicle which did well in competitions and trials.

Car Radiator The cars remained in production until 1924 by which time the price of four wheel cars had fallen so much that the cycle cars had very little price advantage.  Thompsons did not turn to four wheeled cars but used their vehicle skills in conjunction with their original tank and boiler skills, to produce road tankers.

The only example of a TB car we have so far found is this radiator, with a few bits of the chassis, which is in store at the Black Country Living Museum.

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