What is Anzani?

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

From his native Italy Anzani moved to France where he became involved in cycle racing. He moved on to motor cycles 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 powered by one of his engines and propellors. He supplied one of his engines to Enrico Forlanini and developed it further into a three cylinder radial air cooled engine ideal for the new aeroplanes. One of the early engines was supplied to Louis Blériot who used it or his successful crossing of the English Channel in 1909.

Demand for the engines continued to grow and the original Paris workshop was replaced by a new factory at Courbevoie, Paris, and one in London was also added as well as licenced production by other makers. Another factory at Monza, Italy was added in 1914.

In 1920 Anzani turned to motor racing and built a smallcar with one of his 750 cc two cylinder engines, air cooled of course, which won several competitions. They also made a 1098cc cyclecar between 1923 and 1924.

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.

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 with the 1496cc side-valve four cylinder (that would become AC's famous 2-litre motor), Frazer-Nash with an 1496cc ohv engine, Morgan with a V-twin, and Squire with the R1 twin cam engine. Their most well known products came to be in motorcycles, lawnmowers and outboard engines. Cotton and Greeves motorcycles used Anzani motors.

In later years the company diversified and as the British Anzani Group it finally went into liquidation in 1980.

External links

• Alessandro Anzani and the founding of the company
• a comprehensive history of British Anzani
• commercial site