Brockhouse of Southport was an engineering business.
The company produced Brockhouse motorcycles from 1948 to 1955.
1948 The first Corgi went on sale. They used a 98cc Excelsior Sprite two-stroke engine that was much like the Villiers Junior. It had a horizontal cylinder and a counter-shaft for the clutch. It had a low duplex frame with the petrol tank on top and rigid forks with fold-down handlebars. It also had small disc wheels, but not kick-start. It wasn't long before a kick-start and a sidecar platform appeared.
1948-1954 The company built the folding 98cc Corgi folding scooter. These were exported to the United States from 1947 to 1954 where they were sold by a department store (possibly Sears), and were also re-badged as the Indian Papoose. At this time the Indian marque was owned by Brockhouse. It was a small, fold-up bike that had been developed in 1946, as a civilian form of the war-time Welbike (a model small enough to pack into a container and drop by parachute). Two years passed before it went on sale. One of these diminutive machines was ridden across the American continent. They were also used by the US Air Force during the Korean War for use by maintenance personnel, and were often kept aboard aircraft for use in moving around the bases.
1949 Models were produced with telescopic forks and two-speed options.
1952 Those options had now become standard and production continued for the following year.
1954 The Corgis days were numbered as standards changed, so it went out of production.
1950-1955 They became involved with the American Indian make, as a major shareholder, which led them to the production of a 248cc model under that name, known as the Indian Brave. It was, however, poorly designed and commercially unsuccessful. During that time they also sold the engine unit and three-speed gearbox to Dot and OEC.
Note: There is a book on the marque by Peter Miller: From Welbike to Corgi ISBN 0 9530683 07
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Try this page for a start: Books and Manuals
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