Tilling-Stevens was a British manufacturer of buses and other commercial vehicles, based in Maidstone, Kent. Originally established in 1897, it became a specialist in petrol-electric vehicles. It continued as an independent manufacturer until 1950, when it was acquired by the Rootes Group.
W A Stevens of Maidstone
W.A. Stevens was established in Maidstone in 1897 by William Arthur Stevens and had by 1906 built its first petrol-electric vehicle using designs patented by Percival (Percy) Frost-Smith. A petrol engine was connected to an electrical generator and the current produced passed to a traction motor which drove the rear wheels. W.A. Stevens also patented a system for converting conventional petrol buses for either battery-electric or petrol-electric propulsion, patent GB190820210.
Percy Frost-Smith
Percival Harry Frost-Smith was Managing Director of Tilling-Stevens Ltd in 1915/1916 and he obtained several patents for improvements to motor vehicles between 1908 and 1918. These included: With William Arthur Stevens, Worm drive for vehicles With Francis Edwin Brown, Improvements in and relating to Worm Drive for Mechanically Propelled Vehicles With Victor Snow Robinson, Improvements in and connected with the Electric Lighting of Vehicles With Tilling-Stevens Ltd, Improved Means of Control for Petrol Electric Vehicles
Francis Edwin Brown was a son of David Brown, of David Brown Ltd.
Buses
Hallford-Stevens and Dennis-Stevens
The petrol-electric transmission was fitted to chassis built by J & E Hall, of Dartford who used the trade name "Hallford" so these were known as "Hallford-Stevens". Transmissions were also supplied to Dennis Bros, of Guildford these vehicles were named "Dennis-Stevens".
Tilling-Stevens
An arrangement was agreed with a large bus operator, Thomas Tilling, who wanted to produce their own vehicles named Tilling-Stevens. The ease of driving and soundness of construction of these vehicles soon led to the company supplying chassis to many bus operators in the UK, and several abroad as well. According to the website of the Transport Museum Wythall the simpler to operate petrol-electric transmission was popular among bus drivers rather than the conventional crash gearbox (in the days before synchromesh) as few bus staff had previously driven motor vehicles. Tilling-Stevens Motors Ltd was obliged to consolidate its position with bus operators during World War I because the Army considered their petrol-electric chassis were not suitable for use in France. The low-mounted electrical items were considered vulnerable.
Many men were trained to drive during the War on vehicles with conventional gearboxes and developments in gearbox design made their vehicles quieter, more reliable and lighter, resulting in better economy. All this combined to lead to a decline in popularity of the Tilling-Stevens' and other Petrol Electric systems. By the 1930s, TS chassis were being produced with conventional petrol/diesel engines, gearboxes and transmission.
Tilling-Stevens split from Thomas Tilling in 1930 and renamed itself T S Motors Ltd (TSM) in 1932, but were again renamed Tilling-Stevens in 1937, before World War II had broken out.
Tilling-Stevens was still manufacturing buses after World War II, with a large order built in 1947/1948 for export to Hong Kong (China Motor Bus (108) & Kowloon Motor Bus (50)).
TS was eventually purchased by Rootes Group in 1950 and a long-under-development three-cylinder two-stroke engine was extensively used in Rootes' Group's Commer lorries.(See below)
Trolleybuses
Tilling-Stevens also produced trolleybuses. An existing customer in respect of petrol-electric buses, Wolverhampton Corporation, decided to replace trams with trolleybuses on one route of their Corporation Tramway and asked Tilling to supply them. The result was an adapted version of the hybrid TS6 model with electrical components by BTH of Bath, Somerset, and body by Christopher Dodson. The first six entered service in 1923. Further orders followed from Halifax Corporation and in 1924 the general manager of the Teesside Railless Traction Board designed a trolleybus chassis which was built by Tilling-Stevens. This chassis (designated PERC1) could use a petrol engine to drive the dynamo and power the traction motor as well as being able to take overhead power.
The company subsequently purchased the rights to the Teesside design after receiving enquiries from abroad but domestic production ceased after 1927. Following the initial split from Thomas Tilling, the company produced one further new chassis which was exhibited at the 1930 Scottish Motor Show. Only one sale was made, to Turin, Italy.