Carbodies

Carbodies
Company type	Private company (formerly)
Industry	Coachbuilding, automobile manufacturing
Founded	1919
Founder	Robert 'Bobby' Jones
Defunct	2013
Fate	Entered administration; assets acquired by Geely
Headquarters	Coventry, England, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, international (taxicabs)
Products	Taxicabs, vehicle bodies, convertibles, coachbuilt vehicles
Parent	Manganese Bronze Holdings (1973–2013)

Carbodies was a Coventry-based company in England specializing in the design and manufacture of taxicabs. Operating later under the names London Taxis International and The London Taxi Company, it ran a coachbuilding facility on Holyhead Road, Coventry. Initially producing limited series of vehicle bodies for prominent manufacturers, the company transitioned in 1971 to assembling complete London taxicabs using chassis supplied by Austin. In 1973, it became part of Manganese Bronze Holdings.

In October 2010, the firm was rebranded as The London Taxi Company. However, it entered administration two years later in October 2012. Subsequently, some assets were purchased by Geely, leading to the establishment of the present-day London EV Company.

History

The foundation of The London Taxi Company traces back to 1919 when Robert 'Bobby' Jones, formerly general manager at coachbuilder Hollick & Pratt, took over the coachbuilding segment of timber merchants Gooderhams and founded his enterprise in premises acquired from Thomas Pass located in West Orchard, Coventry.

Standardised Coachwork

Rather than creating bespoke bodies, Carbodies concentrated on producing standardized coachwork for automobile manufacturers lacking their own body production facilities. During the 1920s, key clients included MG and Alvis Cars. Winning the contract for the MG M-Type Midget necessitated larger workshop space, which led to a relocation in 1928 to Holyhead Road, their long-term base. Throughout the 1930s, Carbodies supplied bodies for brands such as Rover, Invicta, and Railton, with their largest customer being the Rootes Group.

During World War II, Carbodies produced military vehicle bodies and aircraft parts, utilizing press tools obtained through the Lend-Lease program. In 1943, the company was incorporated as a limited entity with Bobby Jones serving as chairman and his son Ernest Jones appointed managing director.

Taxicabs, Convertibles, Daimlers and other Postwar Vehicles

Following World War II, Carbodies collaborated with London taxi dealer Mann & Overton and Austin to manufacture bodies for the Austin FX3 taxi introduced in 1948. Over a decade, more than 7,000 FX3 vehicles were produced primarily for London use. Additionally, Carbodies developed a conversion process enabling all-steel saloon cars to be transformed into convertibles. This method was applied to early unitary construction models such as the Hillman Minx, Austin Somerset, Hereford, Ford Mk1 Consul, Zephyr, as well as later versions of the Mk2 Ford Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac.

BSA ownership (1954–1973)

In 1954, Bobby Jones sold Carbodies to the BSA Group, integrating it into Daimler’s luxury car division. Although intended to serve as Daimler’s steel body manufacturer, this objective was never fully realized. Nonetheless, Carbodies converted the Conquest saloon into a drophead coupe using their convertible techniques and produced bodies for models including the Daimler Conquest Roadster, Daimler Majestic, and Majestic Major saloons.

Under BSA ownership, Carbodies expanded its production facilities. By 1958, it commenced manufacturing and assembling the important Austin FX4 taxi. The firm also created prototype bodies and tooling components for projects such as the bonnet of the Jaguar E-type, along with panels for manufacturers including Triumph, Ariel, and various BSA motorcycles and scooters.

Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Carbodies specialized in converting saloon cars like the Humber Hawk, Super Snipe, Singer Vogue, and Triumph 2000 into estate versions. However, as external contract work diminished over time, focus shifted increasingly towards the FX4 taxi. In 1971, Carbodies acquired the FX4 chassis assembly line from British Leyland’s factory at Adderley Park in Birmingham and transferred it to Coventry, effectively becoming full manufacturers of the FX4 model.

Ownership under Manganese Bronze (1973–2013)

Carbodies was acquired by Manganese Bronze Holdings in 1973. During the 1970s, efforts to create a new taxi model known as the FX5 were ultimately halted in 1979 due to prohibitive development expenses.

By 1982, following British Leyland’s withdrawal of support, Carbodies took over full production of the FX4 taxicab. Despite attempts to broaden its product range with ventures such as a Ford Cortina MkV convertible and a Range Rover Unitruck, the FX4 remained the company’s primary offering. The CR6 taxi, which utilized a Range Rover body and underwent nearly five years of development, was also discontinued. In 1984, Manganese Bronze Holdings expanded its portfolio by acquiring the London taxi dealership Mann & Overton. Concurrently, incremental enhancements transformed the FX4 into the LTI Fairway model.

Transition to London Taxis International

The firm was renamed London Taxis International in 1992, structured into three divisions: LTI Carbodies, LTI Mann & Overton, and London Taxi Finance.

In 1997, the TX1 taxicab debuted as the successor to the FX4. The subsequent 2002 TXII introduced a Ford Dura Torq 2.4-litre diesel engine and incorporated features aimed at improving accessibility, including a fold-down ramp, an intermediate step, a swivel seat, and an induction loop system for passengers with hearing impairments.

The TXII gave way to the TX4 in 2007, solidifying LTI Vehicles’ position as an international supplier of iconic London-style taxis.

In October 2010, London Taxis International rebranded itself as The London Taxi Company. It established a joint venture with Chinese automaker Geely, which held a 20% stake through Manganese Bronze. This partnership facilitated the construction of a manufacturing facility in Shanghai intended for exporting London taxis and providing parts to Coventry operations. The Mann & Overton dealership brand was retired that same year.

Financial difficulties and administration

In October 2012, after halting sales due to a critical steering component defect originating from Geely’s supplier Gang Yang in China and failing to obtain additional financing, the company entered voluntary administration.

By February 2013, Geely acquired select assets from administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers. The enterprise continued trading as The London Taxi Company until it was renamed the London EV Company in September 2017. Under Geely’s ownership, development focused on electric commercial vehicles at a new facility in Coventry, culminating in the launch of the electric taxi model - the LEVC TX.

MG bodies by Carbodies

They provided most bodywork for vehicles built on separate chassis

References

Bill Munro, Carbodies: The Complete Story, Crowood Publishing, UK 1998
Press releases from London Taxi Company

External links