British Anzani

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British Anzani


Today we best remember Anzani as an engine manufacturer. The company was founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), and the company produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. From his native Italy, Anzani moved to France where he became involved in cycle racing. He moved on to motorcycles and designed and built a record breaking lightweight engine. In 1907, he set up a small workshop in Paris with three staff and while they were building his engines, he designed a hydrofoil powered by one of his engines and propellers.

In the UK, British Anzani outsourced the manufacture of their engines to Coventry Ordnance Works Ltd. In the 1920s, it was refinanced as British Vulpine Engine Company, and then again as British Anzani Engineering Company, concentrating on small engines and car and motorcycle powerplants. They supplied AC Cars with the 1496cc side-valve four-cylinder (that would become AC's famous 2-litre motor), Frazer-Nash with a 1496cc side valve engine, (latterly supercharged) Morgan Motor Company with a V-twin, and Squire with the R1 twin cam engine. Berkeley Cars used small Anzani motorcycle engines in some models. British Anzani's best known products were motorcycle, lawnmower and outboard engines, while Cotton, Tandon and Greeves motorcycles all used Anzani motors.

In the years after World War 2 the company's main product was the 'Iron Horse' - a two-wheeled pedestrian-controlled ploughing engine and light tractor. In time, four-wheeled versions with the driver sitting on the front of the vehicle were produced. The company became the British Anzani Group, and was trading under that name when it went into liquidation in 1980. The trademark 'British Anzani' was re-registered in 2003 and the company, Anzani Ltd, in 2006. The company is supplying classic spares through Dolphin Engines of Launceston (Cornwall, UK) and is planning a return to the automotive, marine and transport industries, with products designed by Bo Zolland.
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British Anzani Iron Horse  

British Anzani Iron Horse

1940 - 1956
In 1940 British Anzani released the Iron Horse "walking tractor", a tractor that had plenty appeal to the man on the land – both in Europe and here in Australia. More>>
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