Invicta

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Invicta | Pre War British Sports Cars


The famous 100-m.p.h. Invicta was assuredly the "beau meal" of the sportsman of the early 'thirties, and, although not marketed after World War 2, it remained for many years much sought after by big-car enthusiasts. With its low-built, racy appearance, massive chassis construction, and characteristic outside exhaust pipes, it was a most impressive sports car. Possessed of a good power-weight ratio, it was noted for its fine acceleration and ability to sustain very high speeds over long distances. This latter made it an ideal car for Continental touring, and it was very rarely that one saw an Invicta without a GB plate. The six-cylinder o.h.v. engine was of 4467-c.c. (88.5 x 120.64-mm.), which developed over 110 b.h.p. at 3,200 r.p.m. The 5-litre (4962-c.c.) racing unit was said to push out consider­ably more than 200 b.h.p. at 3,600 r.p.m. (blown).

The 4.5-litre engine had the valves operated by vertical pushrods, and twin S.U. carburetters were standardised. Dual ignition was featured, the coil and magneto being independent of one another. A low centre of gravity was obtained by the upswept design of the frame at the front and rear. The frame itself was composed of exceptionally deep members, braced together by channel-section cross-members, and large-diameter steel tubes. Very large brake drums were adopted, the periphery being finned for cooling. In all, seventy-seven low-chassis 4.5-litre cars were built, and many examples of the high-chassis type (The high-chassis car and earlier 2.4-litre and 3-litre models took several long-distance records before the low-chassis 4.5-litre was produced).

Racing successes were numerous, and the Invictas performed particularly well at Brooklands and hill-climbs. Many well-known drivers used the cars, among them being Raymond Mays, Violet Cordery, Donald Healey, Donald Monro, Dudley Froy, A. C. Lace and many others. The cars were at their best in the stiff Alpine Rally and Monte Carlo type of events, gaining the first three places in the 1932 Alpine, Coupe des Glaciers event. A 1.5-litre car was also developed, and sold fairly well for a number of years. The 12 / 45-h.p. model was not particularly fast, however, but gained a great name for reliability, many examples of the car still being used daily by enthusiastic owners. The six-cylinder engine was of the overhead-camshaft type, and had a capacity of 1498-c.c. (57 x 97.9-mm.). In general design it was a scaled-down version of the large cars, having semi-elliptic sus­pension and a similar type of frame.

Supercharged 1.5-litre Invictas were also built, known as the 12/90 and the 12/100 models. The former was a blown version of the 12/45, but developed 90 b.h.p. at 5,000 r.p.m. The last-named, on the other hand, had a special double overhead-camshaft power unit, the cams being geared together by helical gears and the valves set in the head at an acute angle. Not many of them were built, as they were on the expensive side, but there was no denying that they were most attractive and fast cars. It is also worth noting that it was the Invicta 12/100 that was the basis for a specially built sports car named the F.M, later fitted with a 3-litre Lagonda engine.

Powerplus Blower



A Powerplus Blower was used, being driven from the nose of the crankshaft direct. The supercharger on the 12/90 car was driven via a flexible coupling. Production of Invicta cars ceased about 1934, and the com­pany concentrated on a light car named the Comet. Just before WW2 the concern announced that a new Invicta would be built, utilising an American eight-cylinder power unit, but Hitler put a stop to any plans the Invicta people might have had.

Brockhouse Hydraulic Torque Converter Transmission System



After the war the Invicta reappeared as a highly unconventional 3-litre car, featuring, for the first time, the novel Brockhouse Hydraulic Torque Converter transmission system, which dispenses entirely with the need for a gear lever or clutch pedal. Known as the Invicta "Black Prince," it was produced mainly in sports saloon form. The six-cylinder 3000-c.c. (81 x 97-mm.) power unit had the valves operated by twin overhead camshafts. Three S.U. carburetters were employed, two 10-mm. spark plugs were fitted to each cylinder, and wet cylinder liners were utilised. The torque converter supplied an infinite selection of gears ranging from 15 to 1 to 4.27 to 1. Suspension was by torsion bars, each wheel being individually sprung. Girling hydraulic brakes were used, and steering was by rack and pinion. It was this Invicta that was the first real attempt to build a high-grade car with entirely automatic transmission. In the past there had been numerous attempts to popularise torque converters, notably the Constantinesco gear. The progress and development of the then-new Invicta was studied closely by technicians all over the world.
1932 Invicta 1.5 Litre Sports Four Seater
1932 1.5 Litre Invicta Sports Four-Seater.
1946 Invicta Black Prince 3.5 Litre Engine
1946 Twin O.H.C. 3.5 Litre Invicta "Black Prince" Engine.
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