Started in 1891 as an Engine company founded by the three Lanchester brothers and other financial backers. Experiments with Motor Cars commenced in 1895 with a clear determination to design a 'Motor Car' rather than a Horseless Carriage. Production began in 1900, using a twin cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled engine design, a radical innovation at this time. The vehicle had an early form of disc brakes. Lanchester built its own bodies, but by 1904 was bankrupt and had to be rescued by the Receiver and renamed as ' Lanchester Motor Company Ltd'. In 1904 4-cylinder water-cooled engines were given to Lanchester cars with overhead valves, and 6-cylinder engines came in 1906. In postwar years a 6.2-litre 'Forty' was the sole Lanchester product, at least until the 3.1-litre Lanchester Twenty One in 1924, and there were upgrades to these, with the 'Thirty' replacing the 'Forty'. But the Great depression killed demand of cars sometimes costing more than a Rolls-Royce. After the 1930 Olympia Motor Show the bank called time on Lanchester and it was picked up by BSA who already shared the Sparkbrook production site. BSA already owned Daimler, and attempted to make Lanchester a cheaper brand with sharing of components and development. Lanchester thus becamed a re-branded Daimler until 1953 when the badge was dropped completely.