Established component suppliers to the British motor industry, the Staffordshire-based firm of Harper Sons & Bean had turned its Dudley and Tipton factories over to munitions production during the Great War.

With hostilities at an end, the company sought to keep its plant and workforce occupied by turning to motor manufacturing, acquiring the rights to the pre-war Perry 11.9hp from Willys-Overland.

The Perry was powered by a 1,796cc sidevalve four with fixed cylinder head, which drove via a cone clutch, separate three-sped gearbox and spiral bevel rear axle.

Ambitious production targets were set but these were never achieved, and at the end of 1920 the company was wound up, re-emerging some twelve months later in reconstituted form.

The Twelve was still the mainstay of production and would remain so until 1927.

A 2.4-litre 14hp model was added to the range in 1924 followed by Bean's first six – the Meadows-engined 18/50hp – in 1926.

That same year Harper Bean, as it had become kn...