The Singer Twelve name was used for several

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

s produced by

Singer Motors Singer Motors Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturing business, originally a bicycle manufacturer founded as Singer & Co by George Singer, in 1874 in Coventry, England. Singer & Co's bicycle manufacture continued. From 1901 George ...

. The "Twelve" in the name referred to the taxation horsepower rating in the United Kingdom.

Singer Twelve-Six (1932)

The Twelve-Six was powered by a 1476 cc six-cylinder side-valve engine and was available as either a four-door saloon or four-seat open tourer. A four-speed transmission was fitted.

Singer Twelve-Four (1933-1934)

The new version of the Twelve used a four-cylinder 1440 cc side valve engine, essentially an enlarged version of that fitted to the 1931 Singer Ten.Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1930s, Haymarket Publishing Limited, Revised paperback edition published 1993, page 179 Drive was to the rear axle via a four-speed transmission. Braking was at first by a mechanical system replaced by hydraulics in 1934. It could be had in Saloon, Saloon de-luxe or coupe de luxe versions. The de-luxe option gave the owner all round safety glass, leather upholstery and bumpers. In 1934 the de-luxe also mfeatured clutchless gear changing. The number made is not known.

Singer Twelve (1937-1939)

The 1937 car had a 1525 cc overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine. The car had a separate chassis that was conventional using

beam axle A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...

s and semi-elliptic

leaf springs A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, ...

all round and hydraulic brakes. The wheels were of the pressed steel type. The car was available as a standard saloon, Super saloon (from 1938) or drophead coupe.

Super Twelve (1947-1949)

After World War II the car was re-launched in 1947 as the Super Twelve with the drophead also still available. The standard saloon was no more. A top speed of 68 mph (110 km/h) was possible.Graham Robson, A-Z British Cars 1945-80, Herridge & Sons, 2006, page 388 1098 were built post war.Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945-1970, Haymarket Publishing Limited, Revised paperback edition published 1993, page 179

References

{{reflist Twelve