Eric Longden (United Kingdom) - AllCarIndex

Eric Longden was an automobile manufacturer based in the United Kingdom, active from 1920 to 1927. The company was founded by Eric Longden, an Australian-born steeplechase jockey who initially moved to London to establish a theatrical agency. In 1919-20, he began assembling light cars in Charing Cross Road, London, in proximity to the theatre district.

The early vehicles produced by Eric Longden likely utilized Coventry-Simplex engines and Moss gearboxes, although detailed information about these models remains scarce. The cars were not included in insurance guides until 1922, when production shifted to the Air Navigation & Engineering Co. Ltd. in Addlestone, Surrey. This company also manufactured the Bleriot Whippet during the same period.

By 1922, the Eric Longden cars featured J.A.P. V-twin engines with displacements of 964 or 1088 cc. Subsequently, the models transitioned to using 1074 cc Alpha engines and, from 1924 onwards, 1320 cc four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engines. The body styles predominantly consisted of open two-seater sports models crafted from polished aluminum. Notably, a distinctive two-door saloon with a vee-windscreen and pointed tail was showcased at the Olympia Motor Show in 1923.

In the 1923-24 Motor Trade Directory, a new entity named Eric Longden Cars Ltd. appeared, which likely functioned as a sales agency for the vehicles produced by Air Navigation & Engineering Co. Ltd. The brand ultimately ceased operations in 1927, leaving behind a limited but intriguing legacy in the early automotive landscape of the UK.