Lanchester Ten History

Announced in September 1932, the Ten was the smallest Lanchester ever made and, by a wide margin, the best-selling — roughly 12,250 were built. It shared its basic chassis with the BSA Ten launched the following month, and used a 1,203 cc four-cylinder overhead-valve engine (enlarged to 1,444 cc for 1936).

Bodies ranged from a four-door six-light saloon and a four-light sports saloon to a 2+2 fixed-head coupé and an open tourer by Martin Walter, with a bare chassis offered to coachbuilders. The Ten brought Lanchester refinement — including the Daimler fluid-flywheel transmission — to a far broader market than the firm's grand vintage flagships ever reached.