Harold Radford & Co. Limited of Melton Court, South Kensington, London SW7, which was located opposite South Kensington tube station, were long-established retailers of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars who, under G. H. Radford developed a bespoke coach building business in the late 1940s named Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited. The coach building business began by making bodies for new Bentleys with amendments to suit the rural lifestyle of the landed gentry. In the Swinging Sixties, Radford became best known for luxury versions of the cult-car Mini.

Radford was relaunched in 2021 as a supplier of bespoke global luxury cars.[1] The brand has been relaunched by TV presenter and car builder Ant Anstead, former Formula One World Champion, Jenson Button, and business adviser and lawyer Roger Behle.

Ownership

1953 Bentley R Type Countryman by Harold Radford

As a member of the H R Owen group (itself since October 1959 a member of the Swain group owned by The Provincial Traction Company Limited), from March 1961, the activities of Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited were rolled in with the servicing and body repair operations of H R Owen and Swain under the Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited name.[2]

Although it continued to trade, Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited was placed in voluntary liquidation in September 1966 because it could not meet its liabilities. A new company, Harold Radford Coachbuilders (1967) Limited, was formed in October 1967 to continue, acquire and improve the car conversion business, taking control of the business on 10 October 1967.[3]

Today, Radford is co-owned by Ant Anstead, Jenson Button and Roger Behle under the company name Finest Coachbuilding Group (FCG), which is a United States Limited Liability Company (LLC). The group also has UK holdings, which FCG entirely owns.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Jenson Button and Ant Anstead help revive British coachbuilder Radford with new models". Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  2. ↑ The Provincial Traction Company Limited. The Times, Monday, 3 Jul 1961; pg. 21; Issue 55123.
  3. ↑ Industrial Models to be acquired. The Times, Tuesday, 10 Oct 1967; pg. 22; Issue 57068
  4. ↑ USPTO. "RADFORD - Finest Coachbuilding Group, LLC Trademark Registration". USPTO.report. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  • The Sydney Morning Herald - 21 Apr 1958 page 5 "British Cars Star At New York Show"
  • ']New York Times 6 Apr 1958 "LUXURY MODELS, TOO; German, French, Italian, British Cars Join US"
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