In 1900 the Weller Brothers entered business as general engineers, and began building motor vehicles in 1902.
The first AC car was presented at the Crystal Palace motor show in 1903; it was a 20-hp touring car and was displayed under the Weller name. The Weller Brothers in West Norwood, London, planned to produce an advanced 20-hp car. However their financial backer, Portwine, thought the car would be too expensive to produce and encouraged Weller to design and produce a much smaller delivery 3 wheeler. Weller did so, called it the Auto-Carrier and a new company was founded and named Autocars and Accessories.
1904 Production began, the three-wheel utility vehicle caught on quickly and was a financial success. This used a single cylinder engine and had tiller steering.
1907 Company renamed as Auto Carriers Ltd.
In 1907 a passenger version appeared named the Auto-Carrier Sociable. It had a seat in place of the cargo box.
1911 March. Details of the 5-6hp air-cooled engine car.
1911 Address is 42 Martell Road, Dulwich, London SE.
1911 They took over the Ferry works at Thames Ditton previously used by Willans and Robinson.
1911 The Members of AUTO CARRIERS Limited, at an Extraordinary General Meeting held at 42A, Martell-road, West Norwood, London, on the 26th day of September, 1911, decided that the business of Auto Carriers Limited would be taken over as a going concern by Auto Carriers (1911) Limited, and that Auto Carriers Limited be wound up voluntarily. Mr. H. E. Weller, of 42, Martell-road, West Norwood, was appointed the Liquidator. John Portwine was Chairman of the meeting.
1911 A meeting of creditors was held at Ferry Works in December
Production resumed in 1913, and then stalled again due to the war. The firm continued in the 20s and beyond, building automobiles. Harry Hawker bought and modified a prototype A.C. sports car which he drove at over 100 miles (161 km) an hour.
They became well known for their sports cars, among them the AC Cobra.
A.C. briefly returned to 3-wheelers after WWII when they built invalid tricars, and in 1953 they produced the AC Petite, a three wheeler microcar similar to the Bond, powered by a 346cc single cylinder two stroke Villiers engine.
1910 Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition
Stanley Fair 1910
Auto Carrier Chassis
Another popular English three wheeler, known as the auto-carrier, is shown in the two-passenger form at Fig. 281. The side elevation and plan view at Fig. 282 show clearly the disposition and arrangement of the power plant and other components. The engine in this case is carried beneath the operator's seat and drives the rear wheels through a simple chain. A clutch and two-speed gear is incorporated in the rear hub. The design of the chassis presented is such that the space at the front end may be utilized to advantage for carrying parcels as there is sufficient room for a large carrying case.
Motorcycles Sidecars and Cyclecars, 1914, by Victor Page
Sources: historywebsite.co.uk, The Motor Cycle, Graces Guide, V. Page, et al
