Opperman

S.E. Opperman Ltd. was an engineering firm in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. In 1862, the company was known as Opperman Sons & Taskers Ltd., at which time they were specializing in gear cutting and gearboxes. In 1934, they became S.E. Opperman Ltd. and began also manufacturing aircraft components. During WWII, they were a notable part of the war effort, making a number of components for naval vessels and aircraft. Their first foray into vehicle production came in 1942, in the form of a large, 8-wheeled, amphibious scout car called the Scorpion, which was built in hopes of making a production deal with the Department of Tank Design. Though it did well in testing, the design was ultimately rejected in favor of offerings from other companies, so the Scorpion project was abandoned. One of their most well-known products was the Motocart, which was a Monowheel tractor, introduced in 1946. The Motocart was available with either an 872cc JAP with 8 bhp or a 630 cc Douglas with 6 bhp, both being single-cylinder, 4-stroke, petrol engines. The Motocart remained in production until 1958, with a notable number of them being exported. In 1956, Opperman debuted their first road car: the Unicar. This was followed by the introduction of their second car, the Stirling, in 1958.

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