Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.

Overview

From his native Italy, Anzani moved to France where he became involved in cycle racing. He moved on to motorcycles and designed and built a record breaking lightweight engine. In 1907, he set up a small workshop in Paris with three staff and while they were building his engines, he designed a

hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...

Aircraft engines

He supplied one of his engines to Enrico Forlanini and developed it further into a three-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine ideal for the new

aeroplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...

s. One of the early engines, the 25 hp Anzani W-3 or Fan type, was supplied to

Louis Blériot Louis Charles Joseph Blériot ( , also , ; 1 July 1872 – 1 August 1936) was a French aviator, inventor, and engineer. He developed the first practical headlamp for cars and established a profitable business manufacturing them, using much of th ...

who used it on his successful first aircraft crossing of the English Channel in 1909.

Types

* Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 10-12 hp 3.35" × 3.35" *

Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 12-15 hp From 1905 to 1915, Alessandro Anzani built a number of three-cylinder fan engines and radial engines, one of which powered Louis Blériot's 1909 cross-channel flight. An Anzani three-cylinder engine that powers a Blériot XI based in England is ...

3.35" × 3.94" *

Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 25-30 hp From 1905 to 1915, Alessandro Anzani built a number of three-cylinder fan engines and radial engines, one of which powered Louis Blériot's 1909 cross-channel flight. An Anzani three-cylinder engine that powers a Blériot XI based in England is ...

4.13" × 5.12" * Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 30-35 hp 4.73" × 5.12" * Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 40-45 hp 5.32" × 5.92" * Anzani 3-cyl. Fan 45-50 hp * Anzani 3-cyl. Y (Radial) 30hp *

Anzani 4-cyl. V 30-35 hp Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. Overview From his native Italy, An ...

(water-cooled) 35 hp at 1,600 rpm * Anzani 4-cyl. V 60-70 hp (water-cooled) * Anzani 5-cyl. Radial 45hp *

Anzani 5-cyl. Radial 60hp Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italians, Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced Property, proprietary engines for aircraft, Automobile, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in United Kingdom, Britain, Franc ...

* Anzani 6-cyl. Radial 45hp at 1,300 rpm * Anzani 6-cyl. Radial 70hp *

Anzani 7-cyl. Radial 95hp Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. Overview From his native Italy, An ...

* Anzani 10-cyl. Radial 100hp * Anzani 14-cyl. Radial 160hp * Anzani 20-cyl. Radial 200hp

New factories

Demand for the engines continued to grow and the original Paris workshop was replaced by a new factory at

Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine Department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is in the suburbs of the city of Paris, from the center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the city limits of Par ...

, Paris, and one in London was also added as well as licensed production by other makers. Another factory at

Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...

, Italy was added in 1914.

Motor racing

In 1920, Anzani turned to motor racing and built a small car with one of his 750 cc two-cylinder engines, air-cooled of course, which won several competitions. They also made a 1098 cc cyclecar between 1923 and 1924, as used in the T.B. Sports cyclecar.

Sale of factories

On his 50th birthday in 1927, Anzani decided to sell his factories in Paris and London, keeping only the Monza works for sentimental reasons, and managed by Natale Baccanti.

British Anzani

In the UK, British Anzani outsourced the manufacture of their engines to Coventry Ordnance Works Ltd. In the 1920s, it was refinanced as British Vulpine Engine Company, and then again as British Anzani Engineering Company, concentrating on small engines and car and motorcycle powerplants. They supplied AC Cars with the 1496cc side-valve four-cylinder (that would become AC's famous 2-litre motor), Frazer-Nash with a 1496cc side valve engine, (latterly supercharged) Morgan Motor Company with a V-twin, and Squire with the R1 twin cam engine. Berkeley Cars used small Anzani motorcycle engines in some models. British Anzani's best known products were motorcycle, lawnmower and outboard engines. Cotton,

Tandon Tandon (or Tandan, Tanden, or Tondon) is a surname found among Hindu Khatris and Sikhs of Punjab, India. It is derived from a Khatri clan. Notable people Notable people include: Activists *Purushottam Das Tandon, ''Bharat Ratna'', Indian freed ...

and Greeves motorcycles used Anzani motors. In later years, the company diversified. In the years after World War II, the company's main product was the 'Iron Horse' - a two-wheeled pedestrian-controlled ploughing engine and light tractor. In time, four-wheeled versions with the driver sitting on the front of the vehicle were produced. The company became the British Anzani Group, and was trading under that name when it went into liquidation in 1980. The trademark 'British Anzani' was re-registered in 2003 and the company, Anzani Ltd, in 2006. The company is supplying classic spares through Dolphin Engines of Launceston (Cornwall, UK) and is planning a return to the automotive, marine and transport industries, with products designed by Bo Zolland.

External links

Alessandro Anzani and the founding of the company

Anzani Ltd and TM holder of British Anzani

Supplier of British Anzani outboards and handbooks
{{Anzani aeroengines Vintage vehicles Motor vehicle engine manufacturers Marine engine manufacturers Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of Italy Motorcycle engine manufacturers Cyclecars Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of France Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of the United Kingdom Engine manufacturers of Italy