Whilst in Putney I had a trip along Felsham Road, SW15 for signs of the former Gordon England factory which moved to Putney in 1925 and stayed until 1927 at which point they had outgrown the premises.
It was formerly occupied by Palladium, started by John Ross McMahon as an automotive maker but also making planes in the First World War. They were active from 1913 to 1924 when they ceased trading.
There is little information online as to the manufacturing interest that filled this area in the early twentieth century. Here is another manufacturer, just round the corner:
The 1919 Post Office London Suburbs Directory also lists as Motor Car Makers:
Palladium Antocara Ltd. 38 Felsham Road, Putney SW15
Betts, William & Co. (Engineers), 96 Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15
Doran, Taggart & Co. (Engineers), Premier place, High Street, Putney SW15
Putney Garage Ltd. (Engineers), Premier Place, Putney SW15
Renault Ltd. 3 Keswick Road, Putney SW16
Stephenson, W. & G. & Fleet W. (Engineers), 49 Felsham Road, Putney SW15
Wood & Co. (Engineers), 59 High Street, Putney SW15
and as a Motor Body Builder:
Cunard Motor & Carriage Co. Ltd. 135 Lower Richmond Road, Putney SW15
The listing for Palladium at number 38 gives our clue for the demise of the Gordon England works. It now sits under a modern block of flats to the left of the red van, opposite numbers 37 and 39 (on respective corners of Gwalior Road shown here).
A new website is gradually pulling together archive information on Gordon England coachbuilt cars, which utilised a revolutionary weight-saving solid plywood shell covered with fabric or alloy, mounted on the Austin Seven chassis: http://gordonenglandregister.wordpress.com
