4x4s.org MANUFACTURER · UNITED KINGDOM

Maker · Manufacturer · United Kingdom

Thornycroft, Basingstoke

The Basingstoke lorry maker founded by John Isaac Thornycroft in 1896, one of the British builders of the Bren and Universal carriers in the Second World War.

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9VEHICLES IN THE REGISTRY1896FOUNDED1936–1960VEHICLE YEARSDefunctSTATUS

The count is what the registry has catalogued so far, not the maker's output; the years are those vehicles' build years. Know of another?

History

Thornycroft began at Chiswick in 1896 and built its vehicles at Basingstoke, from where it supplied nearly 5,000 motor vehicles in the First World War. In the Second it designed the Terrapin amphibian and was one of the firms that built Vickers-Armstrongs' carriers, from the early Bren and Scout carriers to the Universal. Associated Commercial Vehicles, AEC's parent, took Thornycroft over on 1 March 1961 and was itself bought by Leyland in 1962; vehicle production at Basingstoke ended in 1969, when the Antar, Big Ben and Nubian passed to Scammell at Watford, and the gearbox business was sold to Eaton in 1972.

Vickers-Armstrongss built by Thornycroft, Basingstoke

9 records in this registry. Each opens its full registry page.
Carrier, Machine-Gun No. 2 — no image yetCarrier, Machine-Gun No. 21937 · Machine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40) · Carrier, Machine-Gun No. 2 · builtCarrier, Bren No. 2, Marks I and II — photographCarrier, Bren No. 2, Marks I and II1938–40 · Machine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40) · Carrier, Bren No. 2, Marks I and II · builtCarrier, Scout Mark I — no image yetCarrier, Scout Mark I1938–40 · Machine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40) · Carrier, Scout Mark I · builtCarrier, Armoured Observation Post — no image yetCarrier, Armoured Observation Post1938–40 · Machine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40) · Carrier, Armoured Observation Post · builtUniversal Carrier Mark I — photographUniversal Carrier Mark I1940–41 · Universal Carrier (1940–60) · Universal Carrier Mark I · builtUniversal Carrier Mark II — photographUniversal Carrier Mark II1940–45 · Universal Carrier (1940–60) · Universal Carrier Mark II · builtUniversal Carrier Mark III — no image yetUniversal Carrier Mark III1940–45 · Universal Carrier (1940–60) · Universal Carrier Mark III · builtMachine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40) — photographMachine-gun, Bren and Scout carriers (1936–40)1936–40 · builtUniversal Carrier (1940–60) — photographUniversal Carrier (1940–60)1940–60 · built

Sources & citations

Other makers

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Maker record updated 2026-09-24 · status: researched