Pilot

Overview

1909 - 1914

Like the Academy, this company specialised in driving and maintenance instruction, and showed a car at the 1909 Olympia Show.  It had a 16hp 4-cylinder White & Poppe engine, 3-speed gearbox and shaft drive.  The floolowing year they showed another car with 19.6hp 4-cylinder Hillman engine, this time with belt and cone-pulley drive.  These cars were probably one-offs.  In 1911, when a new company had been formed called Pilot Works and Friction cars, a smaller car was announced with 7hp single-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine and friction drive.  Finally, for 1912 to 1914 they continued with the friction drive but used a 10hp 4 cylinder Chapuis-Dornier engine.  In  March 1914 a new company was formed to acquire the businesses of Motor Schools and Friction Cars, called Pilot Cars and Motor Schools Ltd.

Source: Nick Georgano / The Beaulieu Encyclopaedia of the Automobile