Lanchester, Frederick William

Lanchester, Frederick William

(born Oct. 23, 1868, London, Eng.—died March 8, 1946, Birmingham, Warwickshire) British automobile and aeronautics pioneer. Lanchester produced the first British automobile, a one-cylinder, five-horsepower model, in 1896. After he successfully produced improved models, financial backing enabled him to produce several hundred cars over the next few years, vehicles notable for a relative freedom from vibration, a graceful appearance, and a luggage rack. He published an important paper (1897) on the principles of heavier-than-air flight and later major texts on aeronautics.