Founded in 1912 by Bertrand Montet, Derby was initially engaged in general engineering and after the Great War dealt in War-surplus Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

From 1921, the firm began producing lightweight Voiturettes (Cyclecars) that were fitted with the Harley Davidson V-Twin motorcycle engines with which they had become so familiar.

Very quickly the marque started to produce larger models and would fit these chassis with four-cylinder, overhead valve 1,098cc engines sourced from Chapuis-Dornier.

Competing with the likes of Amilcar and Salmson, Automobiles Derby exhibited a British bodied 9hp 'Sports' model at the 1923 Olympia Motor Show which was a direct descendant of their 9hp Racer that had competed in the Brooklands 200 mile race.

Unfortunately, Derby failed to attract much interest at the show, but it would inspire the imagination of one Vernon Balls.

Balls was a Gentleman motor racer who had trained as a motor engineer and made a name for himself by purchasing the rema...