Bean Cars Ltd

Notes:

Traced first origins to Absalom Harper who set up in Dudley in 1826 as a maker of iron fenders and fire irons. 1879 George Bean, 1855-1924, married into this business. 1901 incorporated and in 1907 became A Harper Sons & Bean Ltd which by then produced forgings for the emerging car industry. Now under control of (Sir) George Bean, expanded rapidly 1914-18 opening new plant at Tipton. In 1919 reorganised as a holding company, Harper, Bean Ltd, when its steel supplier, Hadfields Ltd, took a major interest in it. Started to manufacture motor cars with the ambition to produce 50,000 annually, purchasing assets of Perry Motor Co Ltd of Tyseley. The holding company collapsed c1923 but Harper Sons & Bean continued with Hadfields support. 1926 Hadfields controlled the business which was then renamed Bean Cars; it was then manufacturing motor cars at Tipton, Dudley and Smethwick and employing c2,700. 1931 in voluntary liquidation when gave up car making and reorganised as Bean Industries Ltd to carry on its business of making forgings for motor industry. Sold by Hadfields in 1936