Misplaced Pages

#762237

44-531: National Benzole was a petroleum brand used in the United Kingdom from 1919 to the 1990s. In 1957, the National Benzole Co. became wholly owned by Shell-Mex & BP (through British Petroleum) but continued its separate trading identity. In the early 1960s, National Benzole was re-branded as National and continued trading as a UK retailer of petroleum products until the early 1990s, when

88-422: A 10,000-mile reliability trial fuelled exclusively by National Benzole. Problems arose in the same year from a coal strike which restricted benzole availability, and increased demand in the ensuing years led to frequent shortages of coal shale from which the benzole was made. At the same time, some reckoned neat benzole was a little strong for the average engine and started to mix it with petrol. This led in 1922 to

132-470: A market leader. Switching from neat benzole to the fifty-fifty mixture was not a complete solution to the supply issue. It reduced but did not eliminate the company's dependence on the UK coal mining cartel, while it introduced an inherent tension in the relationship with the petroleum suppliers who were also major competitors for road fuel sales. The petroleum supply issue was to some extent addressed by "buying on

176-550: A new lower chassis. Along with all other Morris cars the Cowley now has a synchromesh four-speed gearbox, dipping headlights, hydraulic shock absorbers, leather upholstery, hydraulic brakes, rear petrol tank, direction indicators, safety glass, battery master switches and automatic ignition. There was a matching smaller 12 hp 1378 cc Morris Ten Six . The Cowley Six became the Fifteen-Six in 1935. Introduced in 1950,

220-573: A post-war "benzole-lake". A group of men, including Samuel Henshaw, then the chairman of the Staffordshire Chemical Company, reckoned there was money to be made from these surplus-to-requirements stocks. Henshaw became the first chairman of the National Benzole Company. Although the idea of using benzole to power automobiles was not new, cars fueled on neat benzole needed altered carburetor settings which

264-520: A sales force was recruited, equipped with Morris Cowleys painted yellow, which had become the company's colour. The now famous 50/50 blend became a resounding success. To sustain the success, an imaginative advertising campaign was developed, and in 1928, Mr Mercury – startlingly naked – leapt for the first time from the pages of the national newspapers. Mr. Mercury, in National Benzole's black and chrome gold corporate colours, became one of

308-479: Is agreed. Should it be decided that these functions should continue for a period after the transfer of the sales activities, then these will continue to be carried out by Shell-Mex and B.P. The employees of Shell-Mex and B.P. will be redeployed within the separate marketing organisations and redundancies will not arise as a result of this re-organisation. The company's head office was at Shell Mex House on London's Strand . Morris Cowley Morris Cowley

352-495: The Anglo-Persian Oil Company which foreshadowed still closer links with the future British Petroleum company: in the meantime National Benzole acquired oceangoing tankers of its own. Effectively promoted and distributed into the second half of the twentieth century, National Benzole continued to be popular with British motorists and the National Benzole brand remained a common sight at the roadside. However

396-653: The Austin A40 and Nash Metropolitan . Its power output was 42 bhp at 4,500 rpm. The monocoque body shell was that of the four door Morris Oxford series II , the Cowley also sharing its torsion beam front suspension and live rear axle but with smaller 8 in (203 mm) brake drums on early models. Some of the Oxford's exterior chrome has been removed to simplify the appearance and some has been replaced with stainless steel. Plastic-covered felt has been used in place of interior carpet. Quarter lights are fixed on

440-525: The Morris Major . Wire wheels became an option instead of the solid spoked artillery ones previously fitted. A considerably changed Cowley was announced on 29 August 1931. In common with the rest of the Morris range the coachwork of the now six models of Cowley was redesigned for a more pleasing appearance – with a fashionable "eddy-free" leading edge to the roof of closed cars, petrol tanks located at

484-610: The Cowley MCV commercial vehicle range was based on the Morris Oxford MO . It was offered in van , pick-up and chassis-cab versions. The 10cwt MCV van was a replacement for the Morris Y-series van and had a capacity of 120 cu ft (3,400 L) or 138 cu ft (3,900 L) without the passenger seat. The 1954 Morris Cowley was a four-cylinder midsize car produced from 1954 to 1959. It

SECTION 10

#1732797975763

528-556: The Cowley though the main windows wind down in the usual way. Steering was of the conventional rack and pinion type. The car had a top speed of just over 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). The British Motor magazine tested a Cowley saloon in 1955 recording a top speed of 71.9 mph (115.7 km/h) and acceleration from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 31.5 seconds and a fuel consumption of 28.0 miles per imperial gallon (10.1 L/100 km; 23.3 mpg ‑US ). The test car cost £702 including taxes. On 12 October 1956 it

572-584: The Isle of Wight closed in recent years. Shell-Mex %26 BP The parent organisations demerged their United Kingdom marketing operations in 1976. The announcement of this action was as follows: Since 1932 the products of the Companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and of The British Petroleum Group have been marketed in the UK through the agency of Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd. In that year

616-748: The National colours. However, during the 1980s, the National brand declined as BP focused on the strength of the BP brand. By the early 1990s, the brand name was phased out in favour of BP. There was a brief re-appearance of the National Brand from 2000 when Scottish Fuels branded its retail outlets as 'National'. These outlets have since been re-branded into the colours of Scottish Fuels . A number of outlets in Shetland and on Benbecula are still branded as National. The last National-branded filling station on

660-460: The Oxford. There was diamond-patterned buttoned upholstery in real leather set off by mahogany cappings, and a proper door for the driver. The mudguards were black and the standard body colour was a chocolate brown. The Cowley did not become a stripped-down Oxford until 1919. Although first shown to the press in April 1915, the new car was not generally available until late summer that year, just when

704-641: The UK should now be brought more into line with this pattern over the next 4–5 years. Since 1966, the Shell and the BP Service Station networks have been managed by separate sales organisations within Shell-Mex and B.P. It is now proposed to extend this 'brand streaming' progressively to cover all products and all market sectors. This will ultimately lead to the establishment of two viable marketing organisations within Shell-Mex and B.P. thus facilitating

748-588: The brand was phased out by parent company, BP . National Benzole was founded in February 1919 in a room next to the boiler house of the Gas Light and Coke Company in London's Horseferry Road . In the early years of the century, benzole production had been small scale. However, because it was as good at propelling shells as motor cars, production was expanded massively during World War I . This generally led to

792-539: The company's business amounted to about 3 million tons, out of a total UK market of some 7 million tons. The activities of this most successful enterprise have extended greatly over the years. In 1970 Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd. supplied 40 million tons of the UK petroleum market, amounting to a total of 100 million tons. In the majority of countries outside the UK. Shell and BP have always each marketed their products through their own entirely separate organisations and it has been decided that Shell and BP marketing operations in

836-520: The early 1960s onwards National sold only petrol. National Benzole joined the Shell-Mex & BP family in 1957 but continued to trade separately. In 1959, responding to the growing importance of benzole as a specialist chemical, it was decided to concentrate on this market by means of a new company named Benzole Producers Limited. At the same time the motor fuel marketing business was now fully merged with Shell-Mex & BP. Benzole (no longer part of

880-546: The first Cowley a great success. The cars were the right design for quantity production when Morris entered quantity production in the 1920s and their high quality engineering created a reputation for utter reliability and resistance to the most shocking abuse. exhaust: 3-port magneto: helical bevel drive The updated Cowley for 1919 had an engine made by the British branch of the French Hotchkiss company, which

924-464: The gear lever and pedal slots and a battery master switch (in case of fire). Closed cars were given a sun visor. Additional equipment included bumpers front and rear and luggage grid and parcel net From late 1934 this car was badged Morris Twelve Four . Announced 28 August 1933 the 1934 Cowley Six replaced the Morris Major keeping the same 1938 cc six cylinder, side valve engine but with

SECTION 20

#1732797975763

968-859: The government suddenly imposed the McKenna duties . A tax of 33% was imposed on imported "luxury" goods, but demand for the Cowleys seemed to ignore the price rises. source The last Continental Cowley was assembled in 1920, finishing the stock of original engines. Three thousand engines were despatched to Morris but more than half were lost by enemy action while crossing the Atlantic, leaving around 1,500 sets of certain chassis components unsold. More recent research suggests that there may have been only one shipment of about 150 lost through enemy action, and orders for more shipments were cancelled. Excellent American automobile engineering and production techniques made

1012-406: The handbrake and ball-change gear lever revealed the gearbox's US origin. It also made for easy entry through the driver's door and no cold steel up a driver's leg. The petrol tank was in the scuttle, and its filler was above the gear lever in the centre of the dashboard. The US-made back axle was the first helically cut drive in a quantity-produced British car. Electric lighting was standard. It

1056-408: The high seas" whereby the company, having no oil refining capacity of its own, contracted to buy from shippers full tanker loads of refined fuel. As motoring passed from being a recreation for the leisure hours of a leisured class to a mainstream means of transport, the National Benzole business continued its growth path. A partial solution to the supply concerns was a long term petroleum contract with

1100-415: The mixture) was dropped from the fuel's name and Mr. Mercury's black and chrome gave way to sparkling new yellow, blue and white. Following the de-merger of Shell-Mex & BP in 1976, the National brand continued to be distinctively marketed by BP for over a decade. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company's petrol stations sold figurines of The Smurfs comic characters whose blue and white colouring matched

1144-556: The most powerful marketing images of this age. Almost every service station in the 1930s had a National Benzole pump, for single-brand sites were unknown in those days. Eventually, Mr. Mercury's head was used as the brand's logo. At the outbreak of the Second World War, all petrol brands gave way to pool petrol . Mr. Mercury returned in 1953, now more modestly attired in the advertisements, though he retained his winged helmet, and National Benzole quickly re-established itself as

1188-505: The motor cars of the wealthy. Before the war, motor fuel suppliers in the UK had typically included pharmacies, cycle shops or even blacksmiths, but after the war, commercial roadside garages began to appear albeit slowly at first. Because garages were initially sparse, the Automobile Association (AA) itself set up twelve strategically located filling stations, supplying fuel only to its own members and making no profit from

1232-532: The proportion of benzole in the mixture was reduced progressively after World War II as the number of more lucrative specialist applications for the chemical grew with the development of the UK's chemical industry. During the late 1950s Benzole was determined to be hazardous to health: its anti-knocking properties as a fuel ingredient were no longer so important for the smooth running of engines, since various additives including, ironically, tetraethyllead were now routinely included in refined petroleum. Therefore, from

1276-445: The rear of the chassis, chrome finish to all bright parts, and Magna-type wire wheels as standard. There was a new chassis frame giving a lower body. Springs had been made longer and more resilient. Bigger brake drums were provided, and the brakes were now actuated hydraulically and supplied by Lockheed . There was a new radiator to match with the large hub wire wheels. The engine's connecting rods were now Duralumin . A sports coupé body

1320-587: The replacement of benzole fuel with a "fifty-fifty mixture" of benzole and petroleum which addressed the supply issue and could be seen as an early example of customer responsiveness. Neat benzole continued to be marketed as an effective anti-knocking performance enhancing additive. Military service in World War I introduced many British men to motoring for the first time: returning survivors began, where funds permitted, to purchase small motor cars or motor bikes, while others set up in business to maintain and repair

1364-475: The termination of the agency agreement. The National Benzole Company will continue to trade under the National brand and will form part of the BP marketing organisation. The Supply, Storage and Delivery functions, and the Computer and other services, will be the object of further detailed study once brand streaming of direct trade is substantially complete and a plan for the treatment of Authorised Distributors

National Benzole - Misplaced Pages Continue

1408-466: The transactions. Initially, the AA fuel stations supplied only National Benzole which was seen a particularly patriotic fuel choice because the coal shale which was the principal ingredient of benzole was domestically produced. In 1927, the AA dismantled its small chain of service stations as the growth of a commercially motivated service station network rendered them unnecessary, but by this time National Benzole

1452-478: Was a name given to various cars produced by Morris from 1915 to 1958. The Continental Cowley , shown to the press in April 1915, was a larger engined (1495 cc against 1018 cc), longer, wider and better-equipped version of the first Morris Oxford with the same "Bullnose" radiator; in addition it could carry a four-passenger body. To reduce the price, many components were bought from United States suppliers. The 1495 cc, side-valve, four-cylinder engine

1496-420: Was a nationally established fuel brand in the UK. During this period the company consciously "smartened up" its public face. Initially the enthusiastic driver/ salesmen delivery drivers had also been the company's sales force, touting relentlessly for new business as they made deliveries to existing customers. Ten years later the head office had relocated to an upmarket location in London's Grosvenor Gardens and

1540-461: Was added to the range. Either the 11.9 or 14/32 engine was supplied to order for the same price. There were no more four-seater tourers. A revised ("transformed" said the advertising) lower body with a new 11.9 hp engine behind a new, sloping, radiator and still of the same 1548 cc was announced 28 August 1933 along with a four-speed Twin-Top synchromesh gearbox, shorter stronger cruciform chassis, leather upholstery, draught excluders over

1584-634: Was announced that the 1200 engine had been replaced by the Oxford's larger 1.5 L (1489 cc) engine and the exterior styling amended in line with the Morris Oxford Series III. The Morris ½-ton series III was a commercial vehicle variant of the Morris Oxford series III . It was introduced in 1956, replacing the Morris Cowley MCV and was offered in van , pick-up and chassis-cab body styles. The series III

1628-475: Was essentially a budget version of the Morris Oxford series III with less chrome, no heater, fixed front quarter lights and a simplified dashboard. This new Morris Cowley was launched on 14 July 1954 as a smaller engined more simply furnished supplement to the Morris Oxford series II launched two months earlier. The engine, the 1.2 L (1200 cc) B-Series unit was a new design also used in

1672-419: Was essentially a copy of the early Continental unit which was no longer being made. It was the basic model of the Morris two-car range of the time with the Oxford, which used the same 1.5L 26 bhp engine until 1923, having leather upholstery and upgraded lighting as the de-luxe version. Morris acquired the British interests of Hotchkiss in 1923 and renamed them Morris engines branch. The Bullnose radiator

1716-541: Was established consisting of a few (initially) storage depots round the country, supplied by a small fleet of used lorries with solid tyres, acquired from the War Disposals Board. These transported the fuel in war-surplus drums and cans of 2, 4 or 50 gallons. The young company received a boost in 1920 with the award of the RAC Dewar Trophy to a Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp that successfully completed

1760-620: Was inconvenient for owners who had previously used petrol and the effectiveness of neat benzole as a paint stripper raised concern about the possible effect on carburettor floats made of varnished cork – a common feature in US vehicles which at the time were being imported in greater numbers. There was also concern about the variable quality and specification of the benzole. It was in the need to address these concerns, especially regarding consistency of fuel quality, that Henshaw and his colleagues recognized their commercial opportunity. A distribution network

1804-516: Was made by Continental Motor Manufacturing Company of Detroit, and the clutch and three-speed gearbox by Detroit Gear & Machine Co . Back axle, front axle and steering gear also came from the USA. Supply of these components was badly affected by the First World War. The suspension used semi-elliptic leaf springs at the front and three-quarter-elliptics at the rear. The central position of

National Benzole - Misplaced Pages Continue

1848-405: Was new and the suspension was updated with semi-elliptic leaf springs all round plus Smiths friction-type scissor shock absorbers. The brakes are rod-and-spring-operated, with cams inside the drums to actuate. Interesting to note that the rear brake drums include two sets of shoes, one of which is connected directly to the handbrake. The chassis was further modified in 1931 to bring it in line with

1892-439: Was replaced by a more conventional flat radiator announced on 11 September 1926 on new cars, now with doors either side and a longer list of accessories supplied as standard. All-steel bodies were becoming available. The engines remained the same, but the Cowley unlike the Oxford, retained braking on the rear wheels only as standard, although a front brake system was available at extra cost (featured car has this fitted). The chassis

1936-427: Was the first Morris car to be sold like that. The six-volt Lucas lamps were a set of five, powered by a belt-driven dynamo fixed to the engine by its cylinder head studs. The cost of these few electrical components was equivalent to 59% of the cost of the imported engine. The delivery van body was not provided with electric lighting. There was no austerity for the Cowley, though it was at first slightly cheaper than

#762237