Leslie Hounsfield, a south London engineer, set out in 1910 to design a simple, economical car that anyone could drive. His 1913 prototype had a two-stroke engine with four cylinders working in pairs and, it was claimed, only seven moving parts, a two-speed epicyclic gearbox, chain drive and solid tyres to prevent punctures. Trojan Ltd was formed in 1914, but war delayed production, and the first six cars were built in Croydon in 1920.
Leyland Motors agreed to build the car at its Kingston upon Thames factory, and between 1922 and 1928 about 11,000 cars and 6,700 vans were made there. The Trojan Utility Car had a punt-shaped tray instead of a chassis, was started by pulling a lever, and by 1925 cost £125, the same as a Model T Ford. Brooke Bond tea used Trojan vans for its deliveries, making them familiar all over Britain.
Production returned to Croydon in 1928. The rear-engined RE of 1931 sold only about 250, and car production ended in 1937, but vans continued, with a Perkins diesel from 1952. Peter Agg bought Trojan in 1959 and built Heinkel bubble cars under licence as the Trojan 200 from 1960 to 1965, as well as 210 Elva Couriers between 1962 and 1965, before the works turned to the McLaren-Elva racing car.
