1904 Imperial Touring Car

I photographed this car in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester in April 1986.

It's a 1904 Imperial Touring Car and is said to be the last remaining example of this Manchester-built vehicle. William Turner set up the Imperial Autocar Manufacturing Company Limited in 1900 and produced cars until around 1912. The company's offices were in Faulkner Street in central Manchester, but the works were in Erskine Street which is on the border of Trafford and Hulme. I've seen articles about the company that says the Erskin Street works were the Manchester Corporation Tramway Company's former horse tram depot, but another that says the company started off in Faulkner Street and later moved to a former horse tram depot in Rusholme. The Manchester Corporation Tramway Company's list of depots includes one in Stretford and one in Moss Lane East in Rusholme. In total about 150 Imperial cars were made in Manchester and the one pictured here has a French Lacoste et Battman 6 hp engine.