This Star 12/10 is the first model from the company to feature overhead valves. It is seen here towing two tandem motorcycles: the red one is pre-war, from 1937.
The Star Motor Company built cars and commercial vehicles in Wolverhampton from 1898 to 1932. At its peak Star was the UK’s sixth largest car manufacturer and produced around 1000 cars a year.
Edward Lisle built his own first bicycle in the early 1870s and had enough success racing it that he began to build additional bicycles to order. In 1876, he partnered with William Sharratt to increase production, but that partnership only lasted three years. In 1883, Edward Lisle founded the Star Cycle Company.
Planning for the Star car began in 1897 when the company acquired a 3.5 hp Benz and used it as the basis for the design of its own car. The company rapidly expanded and diversified, and built a new factory in 1903 on a 40,000sq.ft. site on Frederick Street.
In 1912, Star introduced the torpedo-bodied 15.9 hp, with a 3016cc four and new bullnosed radiator. It was quick, running an RAC trial of 801 miles at Brooklands at an average 66.75 mph that year. The 15.9 would remain in production until 1922.
Like many companies during the First World War, Star came under control of the government, devoting its output to the war effort. Commercial vehicles were made for the British, French and Russian armies but Star’s main contribution was the production of aircraft wings and parts for mines. In 1918 the company accepted an order to produce 400 V8 Renault engines but had only built 12 by the time the war ended and military contracts were cancelled.
Post-war car production resumed in 1919. The death of founder Edward Lisle in 1921 was a major blow for Star. Despite this setback, Star entered two 11.9 hps in the Scottish Six Days’ Light Car Trials, placing first and second in the hands of R. Lisle and G. G. Cathie; the winner was sold to New Zealand, where it proved dominant in local racing, while a different 11.9 swept the Australian 1000 Mile Alpine Test. This car developed into the 1945cc 12/25 in 1924, followed by a pushrod-overhead-valve 12/40 with four-wheel brakes (then a rarity) and four-speed gearbox, capable of 80 mph.
Despite producing at record levels between 1921 and 1925, making around 1000 cars a year, Star was still not making much of a profit on their sales. The mass production techniques used by companies such as Austin and Morris allowed them to produce their cars a much cheaper prices, so while Star continued to produce cars of the same quality and reliability it eventually found itself squeezed out of the market. Combined with the recession of the late 1920s, this meant that Star could only produce 105 cars in 1927.
Star thus entered a financially precarious state and in 1928 fellow Wolverhampton manufacturer Guy Motors took control through an exchange of shares. Star did continue to exist as a separate company, operating under the name of the Star Motor Company Limited. As part of this new arrangement Star’s old factory on Frederick Street was closed and sold off and production was moved to another of Star’s sites on Showell Lane in Bushbury, near the Clyno factory.
However, a loss was still being made on every model sold and with Guy having its own financial troubles it could not afford to modernise Star’s Bushbury plant. With nowhere left to turn a receiver was appointed for Star in March 1932.
Leave a Comment