1953 HRG 1500 WS

History

E.A. Halford, Guy Robins, and Henry Ronald Godfrey founded the HRG Engineering Company LTD. in 1936. The name 'HRG' was formed from the surname of its founders. The company was based in Tolworth, Surrey, and produced impressive sports cars until 1956 with total production reaching just 241 units. Their expertise was almost immediately evident, as within a few years of production, an HRG was one of the fastest British cars entered in the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans race. In 1939 and 1949, an HRG won the 1.5-liter class.

In 1946, the company began producing its two-seater car fitted with a four-cylinder Meadows engine displacing 1.5 liters and offering nearly 60 horsepower. The designs were nearly identical to the pre-war cars, having cutaway doors and separate cycle fenders. The aluminum bodies were handf-ormed by several coachbuilders and rode on a narrow chassis.

Along with the roadster body style, an aerodynamic version was available. In total, about 40 examples of those were produced until 1950.

In 1953, the company switched to a four-cylinder Swinger engine offering upwards of 65 horsepower. These were produced until 1956, with only about 12 examples created.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009