The H Type was a car made by Lea-Francis between 1924 and 1926.
The H Type was a variant built on the same basic chassis as the E Type. It was fitted with the new 1496cc Meadows 4ED engine which produced 38bhp. The car was also fitted with a four-speed gearbox, bolt-on Dunlop wire wheels, stiffer springs and a stronger propeller shaft.
The 4ED was designated by Meadows as a 12/40 engine, which they claimed gave 38bhp at a little over 4000rpm. This claim was rather optimistic, at least in the early years. However, the engine was more powerful than that fitted to other models and gave the relatively light (17cwt) H Type good acceleration and a reasonable turn of speed.
On test, The Motor magazine obtained a maximum 63mph over a measured mile and The Autocar declared that when cruising between 40 and 50mph “progression seems effortless”.
In 1925 the H Type, fitted with a four-seater body cost £375. Front brakes were an optional extra for a further £15.
The first H Type was completed at the end of December 1924 and was registered RW 530. This car was kept by the works for some time, used extensively in trials and lent to a number of motoring publications for road testing.
It is possible as many as 25 H Type Lea-Francis were built, but none are believed to have survived.
- Source: Lea-Francis Owners Club - http://www.lfoc.org/