1912 Napier T46 15hp Coupe VCC Dating Certificate Number 1246D.

Napier & Sons Ltd were an old established engineering firm that dated back to 1808.

By the 1890s the firm was in decline with only seven employees and when the son of the founder of the company died in 1895 it was taken over by his son, Montague, a keen cyclist.

This interest brought him into contact with S.

F.

Edge, another keen cyclist and budding motorist.

Edge improved on Montague's Panhard and was so impressed he offered to buy Napier’s total output of cars should he go into production.The first Napier car was produced in 1900 and Edge won a bronze medal in the Thousand Mile Trial.

Bigger and better cars followed with a four-cylinder 16hp and then onto racing cars that were entered into the Gordon Bennett races.

Napier were the first British car to win an International event when Edge piloted a 1902 30hp car to victory in the Gordon Bennett section of the Paris to Vienna race.

Further racing cars were built...