Company overview
Bean Cars was a motor vehicle manufacturer based in England. It began operations in 1919, initially producing car parts before transitioning to the manufacture of complete vehicles. In the early 1920s, Bean outsold Austin and Morris briefly. The company was acquired by Hadfields Limited in 1926, leading to a decline in sales and the cessation of car production in 1929. Hadfields continued to produce Bean commercial vehicles until June 1931, and later relaunched the brand as Beans Industries in 1933 for component manufacturing. Bean experienced a revival in 1921, with significant investment from Barclays Bank and other institutions. The company produced models such as the Bean 12 (1924) and the Bean 14 (1923-1928), with the latter achieving notable success in Australia. Bean also produced light commercial vehicles and engine components for other manufacturers, including the Ariel Nine engine. The company’s factories in Dudley and Coseley were later repurposed, with the Tipton factory demolished in 2005. Several Bean vehicles survive today, including a Sundowner driven by Francis Birtles and examples displayed at museums in the UK and Australia.
