Darracq Motor Engineering Company
# Darracq Motor Engineering Company

Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited was a London importer, retailer and wholesaler of French-made Darracq and Talbot automobiles, a coachbuilder making regular production runs of bodies for S T D group products and a property holding company on behalf of its parent S T D Motors Limited.

In 1935 its assets were sold following the financial collapse of S T D Motors in 1934. The coachbuilding business was bought by the Rootes brothers and lost its separate identity.

## Purpose

In 1916 the board of A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited (later S T D Motors) elected to rearrange ownership of its Suresnes, Paris plant and the Darracq distribution system in London. Darracq Motor Engineering was incorporated to take over their assets located in Britain: 150 Bond Street showrooms, warehouses, service garages etc., including their Fulham, London Works, at that time making munitions, aircraft and components such as propellers and under the wartime control of the Royal Aircraft Factory.

After incorporation Darracq Motor Engineering Company added to its British assets ownership of the Darracq land in France on which their Suresnes plant was situated. Darracq Motor Engineering then leased it to a new French company, Société Anonyme Darracq, incorporated to hold all the other French assets formerly held directly by A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited.

A Darracq and Company (1905) (soon to be renamed S T D Motors) was then reduced to a non-trading company holding ownership of the various French and British businesses.

## Activities

After the 1918 Armistice the Fulham Works once again made motor car bodies for Darracqs and continued to assemble French-sourced components.

After 1920 offices and showrooms in The Vale, Acton at the intersection with Warple Way were shared with W & G Du Cros another group member.

In the expanded combine Darracq Motor Engineering also made bodies for Sunbeam of Wolverhampton and Talbot London. In spite of the manufacturer's name change Darracq Motor Engineering continued to import and sell SA Talbot cars sent from France for sale in Britain and brand them Darracq.

## Rootes

The Rootes brothers folded the coachbuilding portion of this business into Clément-Talbot's In January 1935 and it lost its separate identity.

New cars remained available (and service and spares) from D.A.R.A. Co Limited at 1a Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale NW6. Rebadging of SA Talbot cars sent from Suresnes to Britain continued after the dissolution of Darracq Motor Engineering because Clément-Talbot's British business remained active. In 1938 Clément-Talbot's name was changed to Sunbeam-Talbot. After twenty years its products dropped Talbot from their badges in 1954.

### Cars manufactured in Suresnes, Paris (1919–1938)

**at first badged Talbot Darracq and later Darracq for sale in Britain**


    Information assembled from The Autocar Buyer's Guide and published in Appendix V, Ian Nickols and Kent Karslake, Motoring Entente, Cassell, London 1956

| years | name (French) | disp | cyl's | bore / stroke | RAC tax hp | bhp | gear box | wheelbase | track |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1920-1921 | 20 (A) | 4594 | V8 | 75 x 130 | 27.9 | — | 4 | 138 in (3,505 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1920, 1922 | 16 (V14) | 2938 | 4 | 85 x 130 | 17.9 | — | 4 | 129 in (3,277 mm) | 51 in (1,295 mm) |
| 1921 | 14 | 2297 | 4 | 75 x 130 | 14 | — | 4 | 129 in (3,277 mm) | 51 in (1,295 mm) |
| 1922 | 8 | 970 | 4 | 57 x 95 | 8 | — | 3 | 96 in (2,438 mm) | 47 in (1,194 mm) |
| 1922 | 12 | 1460 | 4 | 65 x 110 | 10.5 | — | 3 | 118 in (2,997 mm) | 49 in (1,245 mm) |
| 1922 | 27.9 (A) | 4594 | V8 | 75 x 130 | 27.9 | — | 4 | 138 in (3,505 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1923 | 8/18 | 970 | 4 | 57 x 95 | 8 | — | 3 | 97 in (2,464 mm) | 47 in (1,194 mm) |
| 1923 | 12/32 (DC) | 1598 | 4 | 68 x 110 | 11.5 | — | 3 | 118 in (2,997 mm) | 49 in (1,245 mm) |
| 1923 | 18/36 | 2938 | 4 | 85 x 130 | 17.9 | — | 4 | 129 in (3,277 mm) | 51 in (1,295 mm) |
| 1923 | 20/40 | 3230 | 4 | 89 x 130 | 19.6 | — | 4 | 129 in (3,277 mm) | 51 in (1,295 mm) |
| 1923 | 28/70 | 4594 | V8 | 75 x 130 | 27.9 | — | 4 | 138 in (3,505 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1924 | 15/40 (DS) | 2121 | 4 | 75 x 120 | 14 | — | 3 | 126 in (3,200 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1924-1926 | 12/32 (DC) | 1598 | 4 | 68 x 110 | 11.5 | — | 3 | 118 in (2,997 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1926-1927 | 15/40 | 2294 | 4 | 78 x 120 | 15.9 | — | 3 | 118 in (2,997 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1926-1927 | 17/75 | 2540 | 6 | 70 x110 | 18.2 | — | 3 / 4 | 132 in (3,353 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1927–1928 | 12/40 | 1669 | 4 | 69.5 x 110 | 12 | — | 4 | 123 in (3,124 mm) | 53 in (1,346 mm) |
| 1927–1928 | 20/98 | 2916 | 6 | 75 x 110 | 20.9 | — | 4 | 131 in (3,327 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1928 | 16 (M67) | 1999 | 4 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 127 in (3,226 mm) | 54 in (1,372 mm) |
| 1929-1930 | 16 (M67) | 1999 | 4 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 127 in (3,226 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1929-1930 | 20 (K74) | 2440 | 6 | 74 x 94.5 | 20.4 | — | 4 | 127 in (3,226 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1929-1930 | 20 (T) | 2916 | 6 | 75 x 110 | 20.9 | — | 4 | 136.5 in (3,467 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1930 | 30 | 3823 | St8 | 78 x 100 | 30.2 | — | 4 | 143 in (3,632 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1931 | 20.9 | 2504 | 6 | 75 x 94.5 | 20.9 | — | 4 | 124 in (3,150 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1931 | 22.6 | 2866 | 6 | 78 x 100 | 22.6 | — | 4 | 134 in (3,404 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1931–1933 | 30.1 | 3823 | St8 | 78 x 100 | 30.2 | — | 4 | 139 in (3,531 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1932 | 16 (M67) | 1999 | 4 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 126 in (3,200 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1932 | 20 | 2504 | 6 | 75 x 94.5 | 20.9 | — | 4 | 126 in (3,200 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1932 | 22 | 2866 | 6 | 78 x 100 | 22.6 | — | 4 | 126 in (3,200 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1932-1933 | 30 | 3823 | St8 | 78 x 100 | 30.2 | — | 4 | 143 in (3,632 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1933 | 16 (M67) | 1999 | 4 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 117 in (2,972 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| 1933-1934 | 20 | 2504 | 6 | 75 x 94.5 | 20.9 | — | 4 | 117 in (2,972 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1934 | 16 (L67) | 1999 | 4 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 117 in (2,972 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1934 | 28 | 3563 | 8 | 75 x 100 | 27.9 | — | 4 | 124 in (3,150 mm) / 138 in (3,505 mm) | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| 1936–1936 | 16.7 | 1999 | 6 | 67 x 94.5 | 16.7 | — | 4 | 127 in (3,226 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
