Jarvis of Wimbledon

Jarvis & Sons Limited were South London-based motor dealers for Morris and MG, and latterly coachworks providing special bodies for various car chassis until after World War II.

Like many similar UK motor dealers and coachworks, they started out in the late 19th century as bicycle manufacturers, later incorporated as Jarvis & Sons Limited.

From the 1920s, they founded a coachworks, operating from premises in both Victoria Crescent and Hartfield Road in Wimbledon, and a motor dealership known as Jarvis of Wimbledon based at Morris House in Morden Road SW 19, on the borders between Wimbledon and Morden which was then located in Surrey.

Coachbuilding operations utilised a variety of chassis, including Rolls-Royce and the then Cricklewood-based Bentley Motors, and at least one Bugatti Type 30. and a type 40 (chassis # 40470). However, due to the resultant volume of orders many of the projects were subcontracted to other coachworks, in particular Abbey Coachworks of Merton.

Post-WW2, having acted as a shadow factory during hostilities, the company continued as a car dealership. Today the 1937 art-deco inspired building with clock tower has been demolished, and the former site has been redeveloped and is presently used by a Peugeot cars dealership.

Designed by H.M. Walters of JA Prestwich Industries, the Jappic was advertised as the "world's smallest racecar". Built by Jarvis, the two seater cyclecar used an air-cooled two-port overhead valve 74x80mm single-cylinder 344cc JA Prestwich "JAP" motorcycle engine, sat in an ash wood frame covered with 3/32 inch steel flitch plates and tubular cross-members. A three-speed gearbox used a chain-drive to the rear axle, with only the rear live axle equipped with brakes, with all four wheels using 650x65 motorcycle tyres. Weighing in at only 4 long hundredweight (450 lb; 200 kg) and costing just £150 to buy, the car was aimed at competing in the holiday-handicap races. After Walters broke the Class J flying mile record in the car at a speed of 70.33 miles per hour (113.19 km/h), it was subsequently advertised being able to lap Brooklands at over 68 miles per hour (109 km/h).

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