The SU Carburetter Co
Ltd
The variable-choke
carburettor had always been recognised as being technically
superior to that of the mechanically simpler fixed-choke
instrument. But its commercial realization depended upon the
resolution of numerous difficult production problems. Despite many
setbacks, faith in the basic principle sustained the determination
of early members of the company to over come these difficulties,
with the goal of bringing the product to the market place.
These principles were devised early this century when the motor car
was a new mechanical wonder, when a small engineering company was
set up in London to manufacture a carburettor invented and patented
by Mr G H Skinner in 1905. The company was registered on the 22
August 1910 by Mr Skinner and his two brothers, Mr T C Skinner and
Mr J H Skinner and was known as ‘The SU Co Ltd’, with the SU
standing for Skinner Union.
The carburettor consisted of a leather bellows which held a tapered
needle, when the throttle was opened the engine then required more
fuel, because the flow of air through the carburettor increased the
bellows would rise, thus taking the tapered needle further out of
the jet, allowing more fuel into the engine. Because the bellows
were a crucial component, it was important that the finest leather
having a smooth and polished surface was used. To this end
Herbert's wife Mabel actual made all the bellows needed, by
hand..
London Works 1912
Mr J H Skinner left the
company to go and work in the Shoe making side of the family
business, so Mr G H Skinner along with Mr T C Skinner carried on
looking after the business. The company grew and as can be seen
from the above picture of the London factory in 1912 they were
producing carburettors in large numbers. In WWI the company was
involved in munitions production, along with production of
carburettors for Aero engines with a workforce of around 250.
Mr Thomas Carlyle Skinner
(1960s)
One of the deficiency of the original design was that it did not
have a cold start position (rich mixture). Wolseley Motors Ltd came
up with a solution that was patented by them in 1918, which added
another jet (choke) that could physically be operated by the
driver. This modification was adopted by SU who paid Wolseley a
royalty.
After the War normal work started back up, but there was not much
work about, so in 1919/20 the company made a loss. The company
continued supplying carburettors to Wolseley, Austin, Lagononda and
Napier for many years. But in 1922 the company supplied it first
carburettor to Morris Motors and in that year total production
increased to 2,000 carburettors and mechanical pumps.
In 1926 the company was getting into financial difficulties yet
again, and Mr G H Skinner decided to leave the company. So it was
left to Carl Skinner to find away out of the difficulties. So he
approached W. R. Morris (Lord Nuffield) and following negotiations
the S.U company was purchased by Morris for £100,000.
The following year the London factory was closed down and relocated
to a part of the old Wolseley Car Plant at Adderley Park
Birmingham. Morris Motors Ltd required 1,000 units a week, so
£17,000 was spent on plant and equipment. With now strong financial
backing, the company could develop new products, the first of which
was the Petrolift in 1929 followed by a Aero carburettor in 1932.
One type was fitted to the Rolls-Royce aero engines that powered
the Hurricane, Lancaster and Spitfire. Another type was used on the
Napier engines which powered the Tempest and Typhoon planes.
Showing a carburettor for a Napier Sabre Engine and a standard car
version
With the out break of WWII
it was important that production was secured, so a duplicate plant
was set up at Riley Motors Coventry. In 1940 the factory in
Birmingham was damaged twice, so they moved to Highlands Road,
Shirley, South Birmingham. Around this time the Air Ministry had
set up a shadow factory in the Wharfe Valley Yorkshire, and in 1941
the SU Company acquired it to produce components for aircraft
engines, including a fuel injection pump that was developed for the
Rolls Royce Merlin engine.
After the war car
carburettors and petrol pumps resumed and the company moved to a
new site in Wood Lane Erdington Birmingham in July 1947, seen
below. With production approaching a total of 223,000 carburettors
and pumps per year. In December that year the company's founder Mr
T C Skinner retired and the company decided to sell its fuel
injection manufacturing to the Stirling Company of
America.
The SU Carburetter Co Ltd
Erdington Birmingham
This large illuminated sign measured 4ft
by 100ft.
With the merger of Morris
Motors Ltd with the Austin Motor Co Ltd in 1952 to form the British
Motor Corporation, production was again increased. A Service
Department was set op on the Wood Lane site so that customers cars
fitted with SU carburettors and fuel pumps could book in for an
engine tune, and in the early 60s on average 150 cars per week
would be serviced.
In the late 50s the company produced a new fuel pump, called the
PD. This pump was cheaper to make than the current pump, but when
it was fitted to the new Mini did not prove to be that
reliable.
When Jaguar, Guy and Coventry Climax joined the group in 1965 to
form the British Motor Holdings, orders increased and production
was around 30,000 carburettors per week which now included the
newer version like the 'HD' to 'HS' types. The next development was
the HIF carburettor which stood for Horizontal Integral Float that
incorporated a electronically controlled cold start
system.
Production
Facilities 1965
With a workforce of about
1,100, mainly women, production had now reached 1,750,000 units.
per year
Low volume products would be assembled by small teams.
In 1976 the company name
was changed to SU Fuel System, then in 1983 it became Austin Rover
Fuel Systems. 1984 saw the Design and Development Departments
transferred to Longbridge, with Wood Lane plant just be coming a
manufacturing plant. With engine manufactures using less
carburettor's as the general trend was to fit fuel injection
systems, SU moved some of their production over to Single Point and
Multi Point Throttle Bodies. Additional work was transferred from
Morris Engine plant in Coventry which was closing down, so SU
started to make the 'O' series oil pumps. Around the same time
1984/5 the UK division of Solex went into liquidation and in
conjunction with Burlen Fuel Systems, negotiated the manufacture
and supply of Zenith -Solex components required for spares.
1988 was a another year of change when British
Aerospace, sold off SU to the Hobourn Group
and another change of name to Hobourn SU. But in 1989 the Hobourn
Group was acquired by Echlin Inc of the USA. The Echlin Group's UK
companies included Quinton Hazell which supplied the after sales
market with a range of products, thus giving SU another avenue for
sales.
After much development the company produced a Plastic throttle body
for the Rover 'K' series engines. which was a first. The company
was not making much money with its market share diminishing and in
1999 the parent company Echlin Group was taken over by the US
company Dana Inc, so another change of name to Dana-SU Automotive.
It was at this point that SU contacted Burlen Fuel Systems Ltd to
manufacture and supply all SU carburettor units, pumps and spares.
So the closure of the Wood Lane plant took place and manufacture
was transferred to Burlen Fuel Systems Ltd who have a factory in
Salisbury Wiltshire.
If you are looking for parts or technical help then visit their Web
site at www.sucarb.co.uk