View all banners
FAFB will never ask for payment by phone. Users can rely on the secure online payment system.
Anyone who knows anything about engines these days will appreciate the name of Gardner. Though the company of L Gardner and Sons ceased production in the 1990s (after nearly a century of business), their engines and designs remain a hallmark of excellence for those in the know. They were ultimately to become a victim of their inability to project a dynamic, 20th century image to consumers and to operate in the cut-throat world of modern capitalism, but this by no means detracts from the quality of their workmanship. Their engines are still widely used, and a thriving business has grown up around manufacturing parts for them - meaning that one who purchases a Gardner-run craft need not fear being lumbered with irreparable, obsolete machinery. For those who would like to learn more about the people behind the engines, here is a very short history of the Gardner firm. Photograph by Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. The Anson Engine Museum in Poynton, Cheshire
Founding
Lawrence Gardner was born in Liverpool, England, in 1840. His father was either a labourer or a miller - the documentary evidence is unclear as to which. In 1861, he married Ann Kynaston, and moved to Liverpool. Several years later took the step of screwing a brass plate to the terraced row of cottages in which he lived. The plaque read “L. Gardner, Machinist”. He operated out of a communal cellar, shared by four households, lowering equipment down through a jury-rigged apparatus involving a trapdoor and a bedroom window. By this time, Lawrence was the father of several children, so it was imperative that the fledgling business was a success. Luckily, Lawrence was a hardworking and innovative man. He quickly progressed from simple sewing machine repairs to more detailed and constructive work. He began not only to make parts - but to invent them as well. Initially described as an engineer of ‘light machinery’, Lawrence’s repertoire expanded rapidly. So rapidly, in fact, that before long it had to move to new premises. A workshop was built in Cornbrook Park Road, Manchester, where innovations continued to flow forth.
The Next Generation
In 1890, after seeing his company grow from a terrace-cellar operation to a fully-staffed workshop, Lawrence Gardner sadly died. He was only fifty - but this was not out of the ordinary by urban Victorian standards His eldest son, Thomas, took the reigns of the business. Thomas had a good deal of drive and zeal. He entered into partnership with his brother, Edward, and took pains to expand the business. Again, he moved the premises to a bigger workshop in Lund Street in order to accommodate the workforce (which now consisted of eighty souls, and was growing fast). The company now began to manufacture heavier machinery. Crucially, Thomas and Edward tried to ensure that their products were a byword for reliability. In an era before the safety net of insurance became widespread, it was very important that people did not waste money on machinery which would regularly need costly repairs or replacements. At this time, the company worked on a lot of dentists’ chairs. Many of these were still in usage well into the late 20th century, 80 or so years after their manufacture - a testament to the long-term reliability of Gardner products!
In 1891, the Gardner boys petitioned to manufacture a hot air engine patented by Horace Robinson. This was the first combustion engine produced by the company - and was to prove the foundation upon which the company would gain its later fame. In 1903, the company became a Limited Company, and began to construct diesel engines with great success. Powering everything from fairground rides to pleasure boats, Gardner engines quickly gained the reputation for reliability and steadfast service which they still hold today. During the First World War, the Gardner factory helped with the construction of munitions, and built some of the world’s earliest tank engines (with great success, it must be said - although the Germans may disagree on this point!).
A Changing World
The 1920s, of course, saw the introduction of the production line and the rise of the automobile. This led to extremely swift advances in combustion engine technology. With typical Englishness, Garnder declined to introduce quick, cheap production line methods and continued instead to work in a craftsmanlike, bespoke manner. Their engines were fitted to buses and large, specialized machinery, but were not slapped wholesale into cars. Indeed, the only car engines they made tended to be for large, luxury vehicles (which benefited greatly from the careful engineering). Some have said that Gardner’s reluctance to fall in line with modernized manufacturing methods at this early stage led to its ultimate downfall - but the company continued to produce excellent machines for the next seven or so decades.
Shares, Takeovers, And Spinoffs
Gardner And Sons continued to run along in reasonable fashion until the 1980s, whereupon stock-and-share market capitalism rendered its position increasingly precarious. Sensing blood, the firm Perkins Engines persuaded Gardner to sell the company to them, in order to bolster their own line of light diesel engines. Shortly after this, the no-longer-independent company ceased production until October. When it returned, it concentrated on a reduced market, producing largely for buses and coaches. As turbodiesel engines grew more popular within the marine market, Gardner’s steady, reliable, but not particularly high-speed engines became less popular - thus hastening their eventual demise. The need for emissions-based modifications was another nail in the coffin. Gardners officially stopped producing in the 1990s. However, this was not quite the end of the story. Gardner engines have remained popular, and a great many modern firms cater their services towards Gardner enthusiasts and owners. Restorers, fitters, and sellers all thrive on the reputation of this once glorious company - and long may they continue to do so.
