130-600: Bean Cars was a brand of motor vehicles made in England by A Harper Sons & Bean, Ltd at factories in Dudley , Worcestershire , and Coseley , Staffordshire . The company began making cars in 1919 and diversified into light commercial vehicles in 1924. For a few years in the early 1920s Bean outsold Austin and Morris . Bean suffered financial difficulties and the steel-maker Hadfields Limited took it over in 1926. The launch of an under-developed new model in 1928 worsened sales, and
260-529: A banqueting centre . The museums in Dudley celebrate the geological and industrial heritage of the town and the surrounding Black Country region, and its role in the Industrial Revolution . The Black Country Living Museum is an open-air living museum , which consists of reconstructed buildings from the surrounding area forming a living replica of an industrial village, with demonstrators portraying life in
390-568: A band around a drum in the transmission, thus stopping the rear wheels from turning. The previously mentioned parking brake lever operated band brakes acting on the inside of the rear brake drums, which were an integral part of the rear wheel hubs. Optional brakes that acted on the outside of the brake drums were available from aftermarket suppliers. Wheels were wooden artillery wheels , with steel welded-spoke wheels available in 1926 and 1927. Tires were pneumatic clincher type, 30 in (762 mm) in diameter, 3.5 in (89 mm) wide in
520-459: A borough dates from the mid-13th century, when Roger de Somery, then Baron of Dudley, approved of the establishment of a market in nearby Wolverhampton . An inquisition after his death further established the value and importance of the borough, with mentions of the town's growing coal industry. By the early 16th century the Dudley estate, now held by the Sutton family, had become severely in debt and
650-501: A capacity of 30 cwt (about 1,500 kg). Unfortunately for Bean, Morris Commercial entered the market at the same time: intense competition drove most other competitors out of the UK market. Bean's finances suffered, despite ongoing funding from Hadfields. In 1927 Hadfields made a number of changes to the Bean range. Production of the Bean 12 ended with about 3,000 built in total. The Bean 14 became
780-542: A church school from the mid-19th century, but this was closed during the 1970s and was used as a community centre for several years before being transferred to the Black Country Museum in 1989. The site of the school remained undeveloped until 2008, when work began on a new health centre. There are 11 scheduled ancient monuments in Dudley and the surrounding district, and 260 listed buildings, including 6 Grade I listed and 19 Grade II* listed buildings. The town
910-513: A few months. One of the streets on this new estate, Thunderbolt Way, is named after Eyston's record-breaking car. On moving to the Coseley site, Bean built a block of offices on Sedgley Road West on the Tipton side of the boundary with Coseley. Tipton Council bought them and opened them as their municipal offices on 7 March 1935, a use which lasted for the next 31 years until Tipton council was abolished and
1040-453: A further 25,000 lorries or commercial vehicles. Financial commentators noted the company's financial structure was "rather complicated". The new company wanted to emulate the success of the Ford Model T and exhibited its first car at the 1919 Motor Show. Its initial models were two- and four-seat tourers and coupés with prices starting from £425. By early 1920 the company was making 80 chassis
1170-552: A line that served the small communities on the way to Old Hill and Halesowen . The site was later used as a Freightliner terminal by Freightliner , until an unpopular closure on 26 September 1989. A proposal to re-open the segment of line between Dudley and Dudley Port was unveiled in December 2014, to allow for a light rail link from the town centre to the main line, but this plan was scrapped in May 2016 as Dudley Council favoured keeping
1300-472: A mile from Dudley town centre, these are Dudley Port and Tipton . They are within the town of Dudley but outside the borough boundary as parts of Sandwell are considered within Dudley Town. The nearest station to the town within the Dudley borough is Coseley. All of these stations are on the same line, served by local services operated by West Midlands Trains . The nearest regular intercity services run from
1430-619: A number of epic and record-breaking journeys in a two-seat Bean 14 HP called the Sundowner . In September 1926 Birtles and co-driver Alec Barlow drove it 3,400 miles (5,500 km) from Darwin to Melbourne . The next month they drove it back in a record eight and a half days. Then from October 1927 to July 1928 Birtles drove the car solo 16,000 miles (26,000 km) from London to Melbourne. The Coseley factory also made Captain George Eyston 's world-land-speed-record car Thunderbolt , which took
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#17331158717471560-707: A pulley fastened to the hub for a flat belt to drive a bucksaw , thresher , silo blower, conveyor for filling corn cribs or haylofts, baler , water pump, electrical generator, and many other applications. One unique application of the Model ;T was shown in the October 1922 issue of Fordson Farmer magazine. It showed a minister who had transformed his Model T into a mobile church, complete with small organ. During this era, entire automobiles (including thousands of Model Ts) were hacked apart by their owners and reconfigured into custom machinery permanently dedicated to
1690-529: A purpose, such as homemade tractors and ice saws. Dozens of aftermarket companies sold prefab kits to facilitate the T's conversion from car to tractor. The Model T had been around for a decade before the Fordson tractor became available (1917–18), and many Ts were converted for field use. (For example, Harry Ferguson , later famous for his hitches and tractors, worked on Eros Model T tractor conversions before he worked with Fordsons and others.) During
1820-503: A rail journey in India on such a railcar. The New Zealand Railways Department 's RM class included a few. The American LaFrance company modified more than 900 Model Ts for use in firefighting, adding tanks, hoses, tools and a bell. Model T fire engines were in service in North America, Europe, and Australia. A 1919 Model T equipped to fight chemical fires has been restored and
1950-406: A result, Ford's cars came off the line in three-minute intervals, much faster than previous methods , reducing production time from 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours before to 93 minutes by 1914, while using less manpower. In 1914, Ford produced more cars than all other automakers combined. The Model T was a great commercial success, and by the time Ford made its 10 millionth car, half of all cars in
2080-529: A site of special scientific interest ( SSSI ), considered to be one of the most notable geological locations in the British Isles. A part of the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation , it was heavily mined for centuries because of its large limestone deposits, and is also the location of one of the largest fossil sites in England. The town lends its name to the "Dudley locust", (also 'Dudley Bug'),
2210-430: A special worm gear rear differential with lower gearing than the normal car and truck, giving more pulling power but a lower top speed (the frame is also stronger; the cab and engine are the same). A Model TT is easily identifiable by the cylindrical housing for the worm-drive over the axle differential. All gears are vanadium steel running in an oil bath. Two main types of band lining material were used: During
2340-517: A static exhibit. The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway in Kent has had a number of Bean vehicles, including a 1923 14 HP Open Tourer that is driven to historic vehicle events both in the UK and overseas. Francis Birtles' record-breaking Bean 14 Sundowner is in the National Museum of Australia . A number of Bean vehicles, most of them 12 HP and 14 HP cars, survive and are driven in private ownership. It
2470-459: A trilobite with the scientific name Calymene blumenbachii that was found in these limestone pits in 1749 by Charles Lyttleton. In the 1830s, Scottish geologist Sir Roderick Murchison visited the Wren's Nest to collect fossils as part of his research. 65% of his palaeontological evidence featured in the 1839 publication "The Silurian System" was from Dudley. Ford Model T The Ford Model T
2600-399: A week and Bean's Dudley plant could not produce enough bodies, so it ordered 2,000 bodies from Handley Page of Cricklewood. In 1920 2,000 Bean cars were made. But prices and wages soared and the car industry had entered recession. The Harper Bean conglomerate disbanded and the company ran up debts of £475,000 to its suppliers. It stopped production in October 1920 and Jack Bean resigned from
2730-528: Is a cul-de-sac off Thunderbolt Way in Tipton. A 1927 Bean 14 coupé was in the Museum of Science and Industry, Birmingham until it closed in 1997. The car is now in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 's Dollman Street store, which is only occasionally open to the public. The Black Country Living Museum has a 1926 20/25 HP truck as a static exhibit. The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu has a 1928 Short 14 car as
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#17331158717472860-487: Is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relatively low price was partly the result of Ford's efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual handcrafting. The savings from mass production allowed
2990-438: Is controlled with three floor-mounted pedals , a revolutionary feature for its time, and a lever mounted to the road side of the driver's seat. The throttle is controlled with a lever on the steering wheel . The left-hand pedal is used to engage the transmission. With the floor lever in either the mid position or fully forward and the pedal pressed and held forward, the car enters low gear. When held in an intermediate position,
3120-399: Is engaged with a lever; all units after that use the central pedal, which is used to engage reverse gear when the car is in neutral. The right-hand pedal operates the transmission brake – there are no brakes on the wheels. The floor lever also controls the parking brake , which is activated by pulling the lever all the way back. This doubles as an emergency brake. Although it was uncommon,
3250-622: Is expected to begin operation in 2025, connecting Dudley to Edgbaston Village in Birmingham City Centre, and to Wolverhampton station Dudley covers an area of the South Staffordshire Coalfield , which contributed heavily to its growth and industrialisation during the 18th century Industrial Revolution. North-west of the town centre lies the Wren's Nest Nature Reserve , the first British nature reserve in an urban area and
3380-645: Is on display at the North Charleston Fire Museum in South Carolina. The knowledge and skills needed by a factory worker were reduced to 84 areas. When introduced, the T used the building methods typical at the time, assembly by hand, and production was small. The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant could not keep up with demand for the Model T, and only 11 cars were built there during the first full month of production. More and more machines were used to reduce
3510-503: Is the M5 , with the closest junction situated in Oldbury, 3 miles (4.8 km) south-east of the town. The nearest international airport is Birmingham Airport , around 19 miles (31 km) to the east. The nearest local airport is Wolverhampton Airport , which is about 10 miles (16 km) to the west of the town. Dudley was the terminus point of two tram routes which opened in the later part of
3640-634: Is the administrative centre of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough , governed by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council . The borough, which also includes the towns of Halesowen and Stourbridge , had a population of 312,925 as of the 2011 census. In 2012 the Dudley Metropolitan Borough made an unsuccessful bid to receive city status, losing out to Chelmsford , Perth , and St. Asaph . Dudley presently has two parliamentary constituencies , Dudley North and Dudley South , which cover
3770-458: Is the work of human extermination effected in so short a time as ... in Dudley". The report led to the installation of clean water supplies and sewage systems. Later the extensive development of council housing during the early 20th century relocated the occupants of local slum housing. Following the Reform Act of 1832 , Dudley returned one Member of Parliament (MP), a privilege first enacted in
3900-575: Is thought about 500 of the six cylindered 18-50 Beans were produced and today around 20 of those are thought to survive. Two are in the UK and a number in Australia. Dudley Dudley ( / ˈ d ʌ d l i / DUD -lee , locally [ˈdʊdləi̯] ) is a market town in the West Midlands , England, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Wolverhampton and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Birmingham . Historically part of Worcestershire ,
4030-483: The 2019 general election , the current Members of Parliament (MPs) elected from these seats to the House of Commons are Marco Longhi and Mike Wood , both Conservatives . The 13th-century ruins of Dudley Castle overlook the town; it is a Grade I listed structure. Dudley Zoo is built into the castle grounds, and houses a large collection of endangered species, and also the largest collection of Tecton buildings in
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4160-530: The Anglican Diocese of Worcester . Dudley Council House in Priory Road was financed by the then Earl of Dudley , and was officially opened by Duke of Kent in December 1935. Dudley Town Hall (an events venue) opened on St James's Road in 1928; it stands next to council offices which were converted from the old Police Station in 1939, after the construction of a new building on nearby New Street. Dudley
4290-598: The Board of Health , before the town was eventually incorporated into a municipal borough in 1865. It became a county borough in 1888 under the Local Government Act . For many years the town (but not the castle, which was outside the boundary in Staffordshire ) formed part of an exclave of the county of Worcestershire . Despite the more recent changes in county boundaries, the town and borough still remain part of
4420-510: The Cork, Ireland plant in December 1927. Model T engines continued to be produced until August 4, 1941. Almost 170,000 were built after car production stopped, as replacement engines were required to service the many existing vehicles. Racers and enthusiasts, forerunners of modern hot rodders, used the Model Ts' blocks to build popular and cheap racing engines, including Cragar, Navarro, and, famously,
4550-579: The Dudley Canal – most of which passes beneath the town in the Dudley Tunnel and is accessible only by boat because there is no towpath. The open sections of canal are popular with walkers, cyclists, fishermen, and narrowboat users. Many of the canalside towpaths have been upgraded for cycling, and some sections are part of the National Cycle Network . St James's Church at Eve Hill had
4680-589: The Frontenacs ("Fronty Fords") of the Chevrolet brothers, among many others. The Model T employed some advanced technology, for example, its use of vanadium steel alloy. Its durability was phenomenal, and some Model Ts and their parts are in running order over a century later. Although Henry Ford resisted some kinds of change, he always championed the advancement of materials engineering , and often mechanical engineering and industrial engineering. In 2002, Ford built
4810-527: The Industrial Revolution and grew into an industrial centre in the 19th century with its iron, coal, and limestone industries before their decline and the relocation of its commercial centre to the nearby Merry Hill Shopping Centre in the 1980s. Tourist attractions include Dudley Zoo and Castle , the 12th century priory ruins , and the Black Country Living Museum . Dudley has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, its name deriving from
4940-519: The Merry Hill Shopping Centre . Dudley town centre has been served by a bus station at the junction of Birmingham Street and Fisher Street since 1952. The original bus station was cleared in 1984 and replaced by the current bus station, which became fully operational in 1987. The original bus station was on the slope at right angles to the current bus station. It was replaced by a "temporary car park" which remained in use until work began on
5070-707: The Old English Duddan Leah , meaning Dudda's clearing, and one of its churches being named in honour of the Anglo-Saxon king and saint, Edmund . Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Dudelei , in the hundred of Clent in Worcestershire , the town was listed as being a medium-sized manor in the possession of Earl Edwin of Mercia prior to the Norman Conquest , with William Fitz-Ansculf as Lord of
5200-469: The Parliament of 1295 . The town was re-incorporated as a Municipal Borough in 1865, later becoming a County Borough in 1889. Dudley was developed substantially in the early 20th century, with the construction of many entertainment venues including a theatre and cinemas, with two indoor shopping centres being added later in the century. The grounds of Dudley Castle were converted into a zoo in 1937 by
5330-791: The Sandwell & Dudley in Oldbury , which was rebuilt in 1984 to serve the two boroughs. Dudley railway station located in the town centre was closed under the Beeching cuts in 1964. It opened in 1860 on the junction between the South Staffordshire and the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton lines, and in its heyday was a hub of services east to Birmingham (via a junction at Great Bridge), Walsall and Lichfield ; north to Wolverhampton , Tipton and Coseley ; and south-west to Stourbridge , as well as
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5460-405: The 14 was updated to become the 2300 cc 14/40, still using the Bean engine. In November 1924, partly to maintain production volumes, Bean added a 20/25 cwt lorry to its range. It made commercial vehicles from then until 1931, concentrating on the lighter end of the market. The original truck was based on a Bean car, but in 1927 the company launched a larger model with a commercial chassis and
5590-472: The 16th and 17th centuries, but the advent of the Industrial Revolution began to reverse this trend. In the early 17th century, Dud Dudley , an illegitimate son of Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley and Elizabeth Tomlinson, devised a method of smelting Iron ore using coke at his father's works in Cradley and Pensnett Chase , though his trade was unsuccessful due to circumstances of the time. Abraham Darby
5720-454: The 18th and 19th centuries because of the increase in industry , with the main industries including coal and limestone mining. Other industries included iron, steel, engineering, metallurgy, glass cutting, textiles and leatherworking. During this time living conditions remained very poor, with Dudley being named "the most unhealthy place in the country" in 1851. Health Inspector William Lee stated that "In no other part of England and Wales
5850-523: The 19th century. The first route, linking the town with Tipton and Wednesbury, opened on 21 January 1884 operating steam trams, the route being electrified in 1907 before being closed in March 1930 and replaced by Midland Red buses along the route. The second route opened a year later, linking the town with Birmingham and heading through the centre of nearby Tividale village on the Dudley-Tipton border. This line
5980-443: The Bean 14, with a 2.3-litre engine and a four-speed gearbox. About 4,000 of all the variants were made up to 1929. The car sold well, particularly in Australia. In 1924 the company launched a smaller Bean 12 and also began making light commercial vehicles. Also in 1924 Sir George Bean died aged 68 and was succeeded as chairman by Major Augustus Clerke who had previously been managing director of Hadfields. But A Harper, Sons & Bean
6110-602: The Century competition, ahead of the BMC Mini , Citroën DS , and Volkswagen Beetle . Ford's Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States' age of modernization. With over 15 million sold, it was the most sold car in history before being surpassed by
6240-506: The Earl of Dudley, with buildings designed by architect Berthold Lubetkin . A reported 250,000 people attempted to visit the site upon the first day of opening. In World War II , Dudley was bombed on several occasions. On 19 November 1940 a Luftwaffe bomb demolished a public house in the town centre and damaged several nearby buildings including St Thomas's Church and the new Co-Operative department store, but there were no fatalities. However, on
6370-709: The Long 14, and a Short 14 was introduced. This was a Bean 12 chassis, powered by a 14 engine. Hadfields discontinued Long 14 in 1928. In 1928 Hadfield launched Hadfield-Bean 14/45, which severely damaged the company's reputation. It also offered a sporting variant, the 14/70. The new models were not properly tested and went on sale with a number of serious faults. This led to a significant drop in sales and Hadfields ended Bean car production in 1929. Commercial vehicle production continued until June 1931, when Bean stopped making vehicles and entered voluntary liquidation. Hadfields relaunched Bean in 1933 as Beans Industries to make castings for
6500-492: The Manor in 1086. Dudley Castle , constructed in 1070 by William's father Ansculf de Picquigny after his acquisition of the town, served as the seat of the extensive Barony of Dudley, which possessed estates in eleven different counties across England. Of historical significance, the town was attacked by King Stephen in 1138, after a failed siege of the castle following the baron's decision to support Empress Matilda 's claim to
6630-614: The Midland Metro extension in 2020 which will also see the current bus station demolished. Work on a replacement bus station is set to start in January 2024 with buses using stops in nearby roads for around eighteen months. Midland Red used to operate bus services in the town, mostly from its own bus depot, which opened in 1929. This depot was located on Birmingham Road and passed to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive in 1973, along with operation of all bus services in Dudley. The depot
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#17331158717476760-405: The Model T's production run, particularly after 1916, more than 30 manufacturers offered auxiliary transmissions or drives to substitute for, or enhance, the Model T's drivetrain gears. Some offered overdrive for greater speed and efficiency, while others offered underdrives for more torque (often incorrectly described as "power") to enable hauling or pulling greater loads. Among the most noted were
6890-418: The Model T ended. The Fordson Model F tractor engine, that was designed about a decade later, was very similar to, but larger than, the Model T engine. The Model T is a rear-wheel drive vehicle. Its transmission is a planetary gear type known (at the time) as "three speed". In today's terms it is considered a two-speed, because one of the three speeds is reverse. The Model T's transmission
7020-444: The Model T had fuel economy of 13–21 mpg ‑US (16–25 mpg ‑imp ; 18–11 L/100 km). The engine was designed to run on gasoline , although it may also have been able to run on kerosene or ethanol , although the decreasing cost of gasoline and the later introduction of Prohibition made ethanol an impractical fuel for most users. The engines of the first 2,447 units were cooled with water pumps;
7150-476: The Model T lost market share and became barely profitable. Design changes were not as few as the public perceived, but the idea of an unchanging model was kept intact. Eventually, on May 26, 1927, Ford Motor Company ceased US production and began the changeovers required to produce the Model A . Some of the other Model T factories in the world continued for a short while, with the final Model T produced at
7280-494: The Model T more flexible as to the quality or type of fuel it used. The system did not need a starting battery, since proper hand-cranking would generate enough current for starting. Electric lighting powered by the magneto was adopted in 1915, replacing acetylene gas flame lamp and oil lamps, but electric starting was not offered until 1919. The Model T engine was produced for replacement needs as well as stationary and marine applications until 1941, well after production of
7410-735: The Ruckstell two-speed rear axle, and transmissions by Muncie, Warford, and Jumbo. Aftermarket transmissions generally fit one of four categories: Murray Fahnestock, a Ford expert in the era of the Model T, particularly advised the use of auxiliary transmissions for the enclosed Model T's, such as the Ford Sedan and Coupelet, for three reasons: their greater weight put more strain on the drivetrain and engine, which auxiliary transmissions could smooth out; their bodies acted as sounding boards, echoing engine noise and vibration at higher engine speeds, which could be lessened with intermediate gears; and owners of
7540-562: The Tipton factory and renamed it as Bruhl (UK). The owners sold it to the directors and it became Ferrotech, which was a major supplier to Ford and Perkins Engines . The order book almost doubled in twelve months but appalling mismanagement led to increasing and unsustainable losses, the company was put in administration and as the administrators could not sell it as a going concern the factory ceased production in August 2005 and closed within six months. Australian adventurer Francis Birtles made
7670-464: The Volkswagen Beetle in 1972. Early automobiles, which were produced from the 1880s , were mostly scarce, expensive, and often unreliable. Being the first reliable, easily maintained, mass-market motorized transportation made the Model T into a great success: Within a few days after release, 15,000 orders were placed. The first production Model T was built on August 12, 1908, and left
7800-405: The alphabet up through the Model T. Twenty models in all, not all of which went into production. The production model immediately before the Model T was the Model S , an upgraded version of the company's largest success to that point, the Model N . The follow-up to the Model T was another Ford Model A , rather than the "Model U". The company publicity said this was because
7930-566: The assembly line belongs to Ransom E. Olds , with the first mass-produced automobile, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash , having begun in 1901, the tremendous advances in the efficiency of the system over the life of the Model T can be credited almost entirely to Ford and his engineers. The Model T was designed by Childe Harold Wills , and Hungarian immigrants Joseph A. Galamb (main engineer) and Eugene Farkas . Henry Love, C. J. Smith, Gus Degner and Peter E. Martin were also part of
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#17331158717478060-519: The building was in use as a bingo hall until 2009, when it was purchased by Dudley Council with a view for demolition. After long public opposition the building was leased to campaigners in December 2016, with the intent to restore it to theatre use; however the lease was revoked by the council in February 2018, citing a lack of progress. It was demolished in 2023 despite a campaign to save it. The Plaza Cinema remained open until October 1990. The building
8190-408: The bulk of the town was placed under control of West Bromwich Council. Dudley College used the building until 1993, since when it has since been used by a number of different ventures. The residential street Bean Road (Dudley DY2) has long existed within 200 yards (180 m) of the Dudley factory, while Bean Road (Coseley) gives access to the former Coseley factory site, and the nearby Bean Drive
8320-509: The business of ironfounders, metalworkers and manufacturers and distributors of motor vehicles. After investment in the above companies the balance of the new capital would be used to: Distribution was intended to be carried out through British Motor Trading which belonged to the Automobile Association's Motor Union Insurance Initial plans called for annual production levels of 50,000 small cars together with 25,000 medium size cars and
8450-416: The car is in neutral. If the left pedal is released, the Model T enters high gear, but only when the lever is fully forward – in any other position, the pedal only moves up as far as the central neutral position. This allows the car to be held in neutral while the driver cranks the engine by hand. The car can thus cruise without the driver having to press any of the pedals. In the first 800 units, reverse
8580-448: The cars in the U.S. were Model Ts. In his autobiography, Ford reported that in 1909 he told his management team, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." However, in the first years of production from 1908 to 1913, the Model T was not available in black, but rather only in gray, green, blue, and red. Green was available for the touring cars, town cars, coupes, and Landaulets . Gray
8710-458: The closure of many businesses in the town. The development of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre between 1985 and 1990 also saw the loss of most of the town centre's leading name stores, which relocated to take advantage of the tax incentives offered by Merry Hill's status as an Enterprise Zone . The 2007–2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession resulted in even more of the retail units in
8840-441: The clutch discs from slipping freely. Power reaches the differential through a single universal joint attached to a torque tube which drives the rear axle ; some models (typically trucks, but available for cars, as well) could be equipped with an optional two-speed rear Ruckstell axle, shifted by a floor-mounted lever which provides an underdrive gear for easier hill climbing. The heavy-duty Model TT truck chassis came with
8970-475: The company a month later. In November 1921 Sir George Bean, Barclays Bank , the National Provincial Bank and Hadfields rescued the company with a huge sum by buying a controlling interest in A Harper, Sons & Bean and paid off its creditors. Production resumed early in 1922 and the company was making 100 cars a week by August. In October 1923 the company launched a new and much improved model,
9100-476: The company stopped making cars in 1929. Hadfields continued Bean commercial vehicle production as "Bean New Era" until June 1931. In 1933 Hadfield re-launched the company as Beans Industries, making components for other motor vehicle manufacturers. Absolom Harper founded the iron foundry A. Harper & Sons in Dudley in 1822. George Bean married Absolom's granddaughter and in 1901 became the company's principal shareholder. In 1907 George became company chairman and
9230-529: The complexity within the 84 defined areas. In 1910, after assembling nearly 12,000 Model Ts, Henry Ford moved the company to the new Highland Park complex . During this time the Model T production system ( including the supply chain ) transitioned into an iconic example of assembly-line production. In subsequent decades it would also come to be viewed as the classic example of the rigid, first-generation version of assembly line production, as opposed to flexible mass production of higher quality products. As
9360-562: The construction of the Dudley Canal , made Dudley into an important industrial and commercial centre. The first Newcomen steam engine , used to pump water from the mines of the Lord Dudley's estates, was installed at the Conygree coal works a mile east of Dudley Castle in 1712, though this is challenged by Wolverhampton, which also claims to have been the location of the first working Newcomen engine. Dudley's population grew dramatically during
9490-531: The creation of the present-day metropolitan borough , which included the nearby towns of Stourbridge and Halesowen . Dudley was struck by an F1/T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day. The tornado touched down in Woodsetton , subsequently passing through Dudley town centre, causing moderate damage, before dissipating. The declining industry in Dudley has given rise to high unemployment, resulting in
9620-415: The drive bands could fall out of adjustment, allowing the car to creep, particularly when cold, adding another hazard to attempting to start the car: a person cranking the engine could be forced backward while still holding the crank as the car crept forward, although it was nominally in neutral. As the car utilizes a wet clutch , this condition could also occur in cold weather, when the thickened oil prevents
9750-440: The enclosed cars spent more to buy them, and thus likely had more money to enhance them. He also noted that auxiliary transmissions were valuable for Ford Ton-Trucks in commercial use, allowing for driving speeds to vary with their widely variable loads – particularly when returning empty – possibly saving as much as 50% of returning drive time. Model T suspension employed a transversely mounted semi-elliptical spring for each of
9880-496: The engines of unit 2,448 and onward, with a few exceptions prior to around unit 2,500, were cooled by thermosiphon action . The ignition system used in the Model T was an unusual one, with a low-voltage magneto incorporated in the flywheel, supplying alternating current to trembler coils to drive the spark plugs . This was closer to that used for stationary gas engines than the expensive high-voltage ignition magnetos that were used on some other cars. This ignition also made
10010-643: The era, the Model T engine was also used on home-built aircraft (such as the Pietenpol Sky Scout ) and motorboats . An armored-car variant (called the " FT-B ") was developed in Poland in 1920 due to the high demand during the Polish-Soviet war in 1920. Many Model Ts were converted into vehicles that could travel across heavy snows with kits on the rear wheels (sometimes with an extra pair of rear-mounted wheels and two sets of continuous track to mount on
10140-605: The factory on September 27, 1908, at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit, Michigan . On May 26, 1927, Henry Ford watched the 15 millionth Model T Ford roll off the assembly line at his factory in Highland Park, Michigan . Henry Ford conceived a series of cars between the founding of the company in 1903 and the introduction of the Model T. Ford named his first car the Model A and proceeded through
10270-513: The first show since the Armistice. Jack Harper Bean was managing director of the company and he visited America in order to buy the latest machinery for car-making. Bean became one of the first UK companies to adopt twin moving track assembly lines. Bean also wanted to form a consortium of manufacturers along the lines of the General Motors model. He brought together a group of companies including
10400-753: The forces of the Sheriff of Worcestershire. During the English Civil War Dudley served as a Royalist stronghold, with the castle besieged twice by the Parliamentarians and later partly demolished on the orders of the Government after the Royalist surrender. It is also from around this time that the oldest excavated condoms , found in the remains of Dudley Castle, were believed to have originated. Dudley had become an incredibly impoverished place during
10530-414: The front and rear beam axles, which allowed a great deal of wheel movement to cope with the dirt roads of the time. The front axle was drop forged as a single piece of vanadium steel. Ford twisted many axles through eight full rotations (2880 degrees) and sent them to dealers to be put on display to demonstrate its superiority. The Model T did not have a modern service brake. The right foot pedal applied
10660-433: The government. The company's factories were expanded in order increase production. By 1916 Bean was making about 21,000 shells a week. After the war George Bean was knighted for his wartime service and his son Jack was made a CBE . After the war Bean needed a product to replace the gap left by the end of military contracts so Bean entered the increasingly active car market by becoming a car maker. The manufacturing rights for
10790-446: The individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. Although credit for the development of
10920-655: The line available for the now confirmed West Midlands Metro extension to Brierley Hill, then later Stourbridge . Dudley bus station is in the town centre and has many connections to surrounding towns, cities, and communities, including Birmingham, Halesowen, Smethwick , Stourbridge , Walsall, West Bromwich , and Wolverhampton, amongst others. The bus station also has coach services run by National Express , mostly to and from London or Wolverhampton . Other places served include holiday destination Blackpool , and London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports. There are also small bus stations located at Russells Hall Hospital and
11050-470: The majority of the former urban districts of Brierley Hill and Sedgley , along with parts of Coseley , Amblecote and Rowley Regis ; an area in the eastern section of the town was also transferred into the new borough of Warley . Most of this land had been held by the Lords of Dudley, and contained within the Dudley registration district and parliamentary borough. In 1974, further reorganization led to
11180-525: The metal and another as a final finish. Paint choices in the American automotive industry, as well as in others (including locomotives, furniture, bicycles, and the rapidly expanding field of electrical appliances), were shaped by the development of the chemical industry . These included the disruption of dye sources during World War I and the advent, by the mid-1920s, of new nitrocellulose lacquers that were faster-drying and more scratch-resistant and obviated
11310-584: The motor industry. The company became profitable again and in 1937 Beans Industries became a public company. In World War Two the company made truck engines and parts. Standard-Triumph took over Bean in 1956 and became part of Leyland Motors in 1960. In the 1980s the Margaret Thatcher in her third ministry broke up British Leyland and in 1988 Bean was bought by its management team. The team also bought Reliant , which failed in 1995 and forced Bean into receivership. A German company, Eisenwerk Bruhl, bought
11440-470: The name was changed to A. Harper & Sons & Bean. The company had been a supplier of car parts and in 1911 the company installed drop hammers to increase production and in 1912 the company opened a new forging plant in Smethwick . At the same time George Bean served as Mayor of Dudley in 1908, 1911 and 1912. In First World War Bean prospered from military contracts to supply shrapnel and shell cases to
11570-459: The need for multiple coats. Understanding the choice of paints for the Model T era and the years immediately following requires an understanding of the contemporaneous chemical industry. During the lifetime production of the Model T, over 30 types of black paint were used on various parts of the car. These were formulated to satisfy the different means of applying the paint to the various parts, and had distinct drying times, depending on
11700-410: The new car was such a departure from the old that Ford wanted to start all over again with the letter A . The Model T was Ford's first automobile mass-produced on moving assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts , marketed to the middle class . Henry Ford said of the vehicle: I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for
11830-560: The next decade, Model T tractor conversion kits were harder to sell, as the Fordson and then the Farmall (1924), as well as other light and affordable tractors, served the farm market. But during the Depression (1930s), Model T tractor conversion kits had a resurgence, because by then used Model Ts and junkyard parts for them were plentiful and cheap. Like many popular car engines of
11960-474: The now-tandemed rear wheels, essentially making it a half-track ) and skis replacing the front wheels. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversions of cars and small trucks was "snowflyers". These vehicles were extremely popular in the northern reaches of Canada, where factories were set up to produce them. A number of companies built Model T–based railcars. In The Great Railway Bazaar , Paul Theroux mentions
12090-454: The part, paint, and method of drying. Although Ford classified the Model T with a single letter designation throughout its entire life and made no distinction by model years, enough significant changes to the body were made over the production life that the car may be classified into several style generations. The most immediately visible and identifiable changes were in the hood and cowl areas, although many other modifications were made to
12220-711: The passing of the Dudley Town Act 1791 ( 31 Geo. 3 . c. 79), was governed by the Court Leet of the Lords of Dudley. From 1791, the Town Commissioners were the main local authority although the Court Leet continued to meet until 1866. In 1836 the Dudley Poor Law Union was formed, consisting of Dudley itself, and the parishes of Sedgley, Tipton , and Rowley Regis. In 1853 the Town Commissioners were superseded by
12350-419: The pre-Civil War track gauge for many railroads in the former Confederacy . The standard 56-inch track being very near the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (143.5 cm) inch standard railroad track gauge, meant that Model Ts could be and frequently were, fitted with flanged wheels and used as motorized railway vehicles or "speeders" . The availability of a 60 in (152 cm) version meant
12480-473: The pre-war Perry car were for sale so in January 1919 A. Harper & Sons & Bean bought them for £15,000, giving it a quick entry into the car market. It set up a new factory in Hurst Lane, Coseley, to make the chassis, which were then driven to Dudley where the company's Waddams Pool works built the bodies. The first model had a 1795 cc four-cylinder engine linked to a separate three-speed gearbox. It
12610-452: The price to decline from $ 780 in 1910 (equivalent to $ 25,506 in 2023) to $ 290 in 1924 ($ 5,156 in 2023 dollars ). It was mainly designed by three engineers, Joseph A. Galamb (the main engineer), Eugene Farkas , and Childe Harold Wills . The Model T was colloquially known as the " Tin Lizzie ". The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of
12740-434: The rear, 3 in (76 mm) in the front. Clinchers needed much higher pressure than today's tires, typically 60 psi (410 kPa), to prevent them from leaving the rim at speed. Flat tires were a common problem. Balloon tires became available in 1925. They were 21 in × 4.5 in (530 mm × 110 mm) all around. Balloon tires were closer in design to today's tires, with steel wires reinforcing
12870-419: The record in 1937. The Dudley factory still exists as part of an unconnected private business. The Coseley factory made automotive parts supplier until Ferrotech was forced to close it in 2005. It was demolished three years later. The newer part of the factory site in Coseley / Tipton that was built in Bean's years as a parts supplier was sold and demolished in 2003–04, and the land redeveloped for housing within
13000-683: The region from that time. Work began in 2022 to recreate a typical Black Country town centre using original buildings such as the Woodside Library and replicas of other lost buildings such as the Elephant & Castle pub which stood at the junction of Stafford Street and Cannock Road in Wolverhampton. The pub, whose lower section is clad in traditional Victorian glazed tiles, opened within the museum's village in Autumn 2022. The Dudley Museum and Art Gallery
13130-438: The requirements and design of the Model T based on contemporary realities. Consequently, the Model T was (intentionally) almost as much a tractor and portable engine as it was an automobile. It has always been well regarded for its all-terrain abilities and ruggedness. It could travel a rocky, muddy farm lane, cross a shallow stream, climb a steep hill, and be parked on the other side to have one of its wheels removed and
13260-408: The same could be done on the few remaining Southern 5 ft (152 cm) railways – these being the only nonstandard lines remaining, except for a few narrow-gauge lines of various sizes. Although a Model T could be adapted to run on track as narrow as 2 ft (61 cm) gauge (Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington RR, Maine has one), this was a more complex alteration. By 1918, half of all
13390-519: The same night a landmine was dropped in the Oakham area of the town and demolished a section of council houses in City Road, resulting in the deaths of 10 people and injuring many others. On 12 August 1941, four people were killed when another landmine was dropped in nearby Birch Crescent. These were the only fatal air raids on Dudley. Following local government reforms in 1966, Dudley was expanded to include
13520-409: The same outer diameter as 30 in (760 mm) clincher tires. All tires in this time period used an inner tube to hold the pressurized air; tubeless tires were not generally in use until much later. Wheelbase is 100 in (254 cm) and standard track width was 56 in (142 cm) – 60 in (152 cm) track could be obtained on special order, "for Southern roads," identical to
13650-429: The team, as were Galamb's fellow Hungarian immigrants Gyula Hartenberger and Károly Balogh. Production of the Model T began in the third quarter of 1908. Collectors today sometimes classify Model Ts by build years and refer to these as " model years ", thus labeling the first Model Ts as 1909 models. This is a retroactive classification scheme; the concept of model years as understood today did not exist at
13780-485: The term "pavement" as opposed to "sidewalk" comes from that era, when streets and roads were generally dirt and sidewalks were a paved way to walk along them.) Agriculture was the occupation of many people. Power tools were scarce outside factories, as were power sources for them; electrification, like pavement, was found usually only in larger towns. Rural electrification and motorized mechanization were embryonic in some regions and nonexistent in most. Henry Ford oversaw
13910-465: The throne during The Anarchy . The castle provided the centre from which the town and borough grew, with early coal and iron workings helping establish Dudley as a major market town during the Middle Ages , selling not only agricultural produce, but also iron goods at a national level. Working iron and mining for coal was in practice as early as the 13th century. The first mention of Dudley's status as
14040-414: The time for painting, but carbon black pigment was indeed one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) available, and dark color of gilsonite , a form of bitumen making cheap metal paints of the time durable, limited the (final) color options to dark shades of maroon, blue, green or black. At that period Ford used two similar types of the so-called Japan black paint, one as a basic coat applied directly to
14170-416: The time. Even though design revisions occurred during the car's two decades of production, the company gave no particular name to any of the revised designs; all of them were called simply "Model T". The Model T has a front-mounted 177-cubic-inch (2.9 L) inline four-cylinder engine, producing 20 hp (15 kW), for a top speed of 42 mph (68 km/h). According to Ford Motor Company,
14300-409: The tire bead, making lower pressure possible – typically 35 psi (240 kPa) – giving a softer ride. The steering gear ratio was changed from 4:1 to 5:1 with the introduction of balloon tires. The old nomenclature for tire size changed from measuring the outer diameter to measuring the rim diameter so 21 in (530 mm) (rim diameter) × 4.5 in (110 mm) (tire width) wheels has about
14430-454: The town and its surrounding area. In October 2017, proposals to revise constituency boundaries were published that would reduce Dudley to just one constituency. The town itself would be divided between multiple constituencies, including ones predominantly based in neighbouring council areas such as Wolverhampton and Sandwell . The proposals were criticised by then MP for Dudley North, Ian Austin As of
14560-452: The town centre becoming vacant, with the Woolworths store on Market Place closing in December 2008 when the company went bankrupt, and Beatties closing its store – the last department store in the town – in January 2010, after more than 40 years due to falling trade. The town had been a manorial borough from the end of the 13th century, and from at least the 16th century until
14690-616: The town centre. The Town Hall also acts as an entertainment venue, hosting dances, theatrical performances, and concerts. Until 2011, the JB's nightclub was situated on Castle Hill, after relocating from an earlier site in King Street (behind Pathfinders clothes store) in the 1990s. Claimed to have been the longest-running live music venue in the UK, the club hosted early performances by acts such as U2 , Dire Straits , and Judas Priest . It closed after going into administration and has since reopened as
14820-533: The town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley . In the 2011 census , it had a population of 79,379. The wider Metropolitan Borough had a population of 312,900. In 2014, the borough council adopted a slogan describing Dudley as the capital of the Black Country , a title by which it had long been informally known. Originally a market town , Dudley was one of the birthplaces of
14950-697: The vehicle makers Swift and Vulcan , the steel-maker Hadfields , and the Regent Carriage company and together they formed Harper Bean Limited in November 1919. Harper Bean Limited offered its shares for sale for which buyers would be required to pay £6 million though only £1.5 million would be offered to the public. The £6 million proceeds would be used to buy: together with Rushmores (1919) Limited, Jigs Limited, Regent Carriage Co Limited, Gallay Radiator Co Limited , Aeromotor Components Limited and Alex Mosses Radiator Co Limited Harper Bean Limited would carry on
15080-437: The vehicle. The styling on the last "generation" was a preview for the following Model A, but the two models are visually quite different, as the body on the A is much wider and has curved doors as opposed to the flat doors on the T. When the Model T was designed and introduced, the infrastructure of the world was quite different from today's. Pavement was a rarity except for sidewalks and a few big-city streets. (The meaning of
15210-431: The world were Fords. It was so successful Ford did not purchase any advertising between 1917 and 1923; instead, the Model T became so famous, people considered it a norm. More than 15 million Model Ts were manufactured in all, reaching a rate of 9,000 to 10,000 cars a day in 1925, or 2 million annually, more than any other model of its day, at a price of just $ 260 ($ 4,517 today). Total Model T production
15340-404: The world. Under proposals by Dudley Zoo, in partnership with Dudley Council, St. Modwen, and Advantage West Midlands, the zoo is to be regenerated, which will see a former freightliner site redeveloped with a tropical dome, Asiatic forest, two aquatic facilities and walkthrough aviaries. It was expected to cost £38.7 million in 2007. There are many canals in and around Dudley, the main one being
15470-420: Was a revival of the pre-war Perry 11.9, and was rated at 11.9 RAC horsepower . The Bean 11.9 in chassis form initially cost £400, but this was reduced to £245. A four-seat open body was £80. Production of the model peaked at 80 a week in 1922; about 10,000 were made in total. The proposals to form this group and issue its shares to the public were announced on 27 November 1919, during London's Olympia Motor Show,
15600-561: Was a water-cooled side-valve flat twin engine with "square" dimensions of 85 mm bore and 85 mm stroke, giving it 997 cc displacement . However, the engine was vibratory and noisy, so in 1924 Ariel discontinued the model. Bean launched a new model, the 18/50, with a 2.7-litre six-cylinder Meadows overhead valve engine . It was in production for only a year, in which time 500 were made. In chassis form it cost £365. Some Bean factories were sold with production concentrated at its Tipton site. From 1927 all cars were branded Hadfield-Beans, and
15730-468: Was available for the town cars only and red only for the touring cars. By 1912, all cars were being painted midnight blue with black fenders. Only in 1914 was the "any color so long as it is black" policy finally implemented. It is often stated Ford suggested the use of black from 1914 to 1925 due to the low cost, durability, and faster drying time of black paint in that era. There is no evidence that black dried any faster than any other dark varnishes used at
15860-654: Was closed in 1993 and demolished a year later to make way for the Castle Gate roundabout, at the eastern end of the town's new southern by-pass. The island was built in 1997 and the bypass opened on 15 October 1999. Dudley is served by main roads which give a direct route to neighbouring towns. The longest of these roads are the B4176 (which runs to Wombourne, Bridgnorth and Telford ) and the A461 (which passes through Wednesbury and Walsall, finally reaching Lichfield). The nearest motorway
15990-466: Was descended from Dud Dudley's sister, Jane, and was the first person to produce iron commercially using coke instead of charcoal at his works in Coalbrookdale , Shropshire in 1709. Abraham Darby was born near Wrens Nest Hill near the town of Dudley and it is claimed that he may have known about Dud Dudley's earlier work. Dud Dudley's discovery, together with improvements to the local road network and
16120-558: Was electrified in 1904 and remained open until 30 September 1939, when it too was replaced by Midland Red buses. In 2021, a 11 km (6.8 mi) long line bringing 2 new lines of the West Midlands Metro , running from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill via Dudley, began construction to re-instate a tram service along the South Staffordshire Line , before running through the town centre and towards Merry Hill . Phase one
16250-622: Was finally surpassed by the Volkswagen Beetle on February 17, 1972, while the Ford F-Series (itself directly descended from the Model T roadster pickup) has surpassed the Model T as Ford's all-time best-selling model. Henry Ford's ideological approach to Model T design was one of getting it right and then keeping it the same; he believed the Model T was all the car a person would, or could, ever need. As other companies offered comfort and styling advantages, at competitive prices,
16380-481: Was first mortgaged to distant relative John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland , before being sold outright in 1535. Following Dudley's execution in 1553, the estate returned to the Sutton family, during whose ownership the town was visited by Queen Elizabeth during a tour of England. In 1605, conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot fled to Holbeche House in nearby Wall Heath , where they were defeated and captured by
16510-578: Was formerly home to a number of cinemas and theatres, including the Criterion, Gaumont, Odeon, and Plaza. The Dudley Hippodrome was one of the largest theatres in the West Midlands, built along with the adjacent Plaza Cinema just prior to the Second World War in 1938. The 1,600-seat Art Deco venue was constructed to replace the earlier Opera House, which had burned down in 1936. After its closure in 1964,
16640-495: Was formerly located in the town centre, having first opened in 1912, but was closed by Dudley Council in 2016 as part of cost-cutting measures, despite widespread public opposition. Some of the museum collections were later relocated to a permanent exhibit at the local archives centre on Tipton Road, adjacent to the Black Country Living Museum. According to ONS, there are two railway stations in Dudley, both just over
16770-506: Was still short of money with debts of £1.8 million, mainly as a result of its restructuring in 1921. Hadfields again rescued the company, The same models were made but there were changes in management with Jack Bean leaving the company and moving to another Wolverhampton manufacturer, Guy Motors . From 1922 Bean supplied engines for a light car , the Ariel Nine, which was made in Coventry . It
16900-551: Was then taken over by Laser Quest , until its closure and demolition in 1997. As of January 2017 the site remains undeveloped. The Odeon Cinema was converted into a Kingdom Hall for Jehovah's Witnesses in 1976. A present-day Odeon currently exists at the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. Dudley is currently home to a multiplex Showcase Cinema and Tenpin bowling alley, located in the Castle Gate complex north-east of
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