Shorrock superchargers

I recall these being sold by Allard, and them selling a supercharged Anglia they called the Allardette?
They often appeared fitted to Spridgets, and the like.

I have a specific question: does anyone these days repair or refurbish them?
As they were vane type units, would someone who looks after the Zoller one on an ERA be able to help?

Hi David. I used to have a Shorrock Blower on an MG TC, and had it refurbished by Allards in Upper Richmond Road at the time - but they are long gone now and I would therefore suggest Derek Chinn, VSCC member and specialist in superchargers. Follow this link for more info: www.racecar.co.uk/derekchinn/main.htm

Edited by David McKinney, 26 November 2010 - 13:47.

Why don't people call them Shorrocks superchargers?
They were after all named after Chris Shorrocks

(Or am I talking bollock?)

Edited by David Beard, 26 November 2010 - 14:45.

Don't know, but...

http://www.shorrocks...OfShorrock.aspx

Actually, Googling around, there seems to be a lot of confusion on this

Thanks Stephen and Michael
I've seen those - and many others
But there are also countless reference to "Shorrocks" superchargers, especially in earlier days
I'd just love to get to the bottom of it some day

Edited by Geoff E, 27 November 2010 - 08:39.

Edited by Tim Murray, 27 November 2010 - 09:35.

Geoff E - did you do a search for 'Noel' Shorrock v Shorrocks?

I worked for Edwards High Vacuum as a young sprog - they made high performance vacuum pumps, The rotary mechanical ones had a very similar construction to a Shorrock blower and longevity wasn't a problem even under continuous running. They worked the opposite way round, of course, but still at a max pressure differential across the vanes of 1 bar. Don't suppose the Shorrock 'blew' higher than that so I don't suppose it had too short a life.

Interestingly, one of our senior research chaps had an Allardette - I often wondered if it was for a bit of exploratory research....

As part of my TVR research I've come across an interesting 'snippet' In a letter which suggests in around September 1958 that TVR asked Chris Shorrocks to approach Alfred Owen to see if he would support a team of supercharged Ford engine Granturas at 1959 Le Mans. The engine was supposed to be Ford's new 105E (launched in 1959). Obviously nothing came of the proposal but seeing the post above that Shorrocks Superchargers were part of the Owen Organisation this doesn't seem that far fetched. In the event TVR were certainly not ready for a team assault on Le Mans in 1959.

Has anyone (with access to Alfred Owen's papers - Doug Nye?) come across this information from the 'other side'. Or did Chris Shorrocks' just suggest it to Alfred verbally and no more came of the idea. In view of the deal with Donald Healey mentioned above it looks as though Owen and Shorrocks were keen to expand the supercharger business. 

Any information gratefully received. 

Thank you 

Rob Pennington 

That would have made a fascinating  interest to the 1959 Le Mans 

This

Plus this 

Edited by RTH, 11 December 2017 - 19:43.

Noel Shorrock

I can add a little information to Geoff E's post "...1905 in Blackburn district".

I grew up in Poole, Dorset. One of our neighbours in the late 1950s was RF McNab-Meredith who owned and raced the Aston Martin Ulster which eventually went into Derrick Edwards hands, and was very regularly raced by him (Derrick Edwards) for many years. As a racing car mad schoolboy I made a great nuisance of myself to Mr and Mrs McNab-Meredith!

During the 1930s RF M-M, who was from Preston, had worked for Noel Shorrock. His job was to fit superchargers to high performance cars, including the Aston Martin when it had been owned and raced at Donnington by Henry Porter-Hargreaves.

There was clearly an on-going friendship between RF M-M and Noel Shorrock. When RF M-M went racing at Silverstone (about twice per year), Noel Shorrock would sometimes join him to assist.

Around 1960 I remember Noel Shorrock visiting Mr and Mrs McNab- Meredith, and I was introduced to him. He was a kindly man, who was very patient with a questioning schoolboy. I remember him as being around 60 years of age (hard to tell when you are very young!). 

This rather limited information of mine would appear to offer some (but not conclusive) evidence that the person identified by Geff E may well be the Noel Shorrock of Shorrock superchargers.

Towards the end of Shorrock production they were described as Allard-Shorrock.

Allard were also "sole distributors" for Allard-Wade superchargers.

I have an undated publicity photograph to support this.

Weren't Wade based near Gatwick Airport at one time? 

There was a Canadian connection with Dick Shelton racing a Shorrock-supercharged Sprite in 1960 in Ontario.

He ran a garage business called Shelton-Mansell Motors - a B.M.C. and Studebaker dealership.

http://www.racingspo...helton-CDN.html

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 December 2017 - 12:27.

Noel Shorrock

During the 1930s RF M-M, who was from Preston, had worked for Noel Shorrock.

Edited by Geoff E, 14 December 2017 - 14:23.

Thank you

Rupert, re post 24 - as you pointed out to me some time ago Shelton Mansell were also TVR dealers in 1962 and ran one of the '62 Sebring cars. 

Geoff E post 25 -  Robert McNab ...was a dirt track rider.....this could be a link to TVR and Shorrocks. Bernard Williams a director of TVR engineering and then Layton Sports Cars was supposedly a speedway rider before the war (although I've not found any reference to him racing at Blackpool on sites such as defunct speedways). Bernard also knew Oliver Hart a well known pre and post war speedway rider. 

Any more info will be helpful. 

Rob Pennington 

Rob, As you know Ray Saidel ran a supercharged Jomar in 1959 - any known Shorrock connection? RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 December 2017 - 17:23.

I have searched the 1939 Register for the Shorrock brothers and found, living in Addison Rd, Preston, with their mother and perhaps a grandmother -

Christopher Shorrock (b 6 May 1901) Internal combustion engineering
Noel (12 May 1905) Engineering representative
Ernest (18 July 1913) Riding master

RF McN-M (2 Dec 1901), Automobile engineer, was also living in Preston

Robert Finlay McNab-Meredith was actually just "McNab" in 1939. In fact, he changed his name by deed poll in 1942.

A 1929 newspaper article described him as a "well-known dirt-track rider" - he was in a "critical condition" following a road accident.

In 1941 he was fined for "aiding and abetting" the keeping of a disorderly house in Blackpool. "The fact that he was in a bedroom with two girls did not mean that he had guilty knowledge of the use to which the premises were being put." Naturally.

This is interesting (and surprising!) information. Finlay McNab (later McNab Meredith) was a successful speedway (dirt track rider in the late 1920s). Before then he had raced regularly in the sand races at Southport. I have a carefully preserved newspaper photograph of him chasing Dennis Parkinson in a 20 mile race there. The explosion of speedway tracks in 1928 created a desperate need for riders. Like many sand and grass track racers, he moved over into speedway, where there was a lot of money to be made, at least for a while. A serious road accident, which left him with a permanent limp, ended his speedway career.

Geoff E:- where did you find this information about him?

This is interesting (and surprising!) information. Finlay McNab (later McNab Meredith) was a successful speedway (dirt track rider in the late 1920s). Before then he had raced regularly in the sand races at Southport. I have a carefully preserved newspaper photograph of him chasing Dennis Parkinson in a 20 mile race there. The explosion of speedway tracks in 1928 created a desperate need for riders. Like many sand and grass track racers, he moved over into speedway, where there was a lot of money to be made, at least for a while. A serious road accident, which left him with a permanent limp, ended his speedway career.
Geoff E:- where did you find this information about him?

I think there is a connection to Shorrock, from Motor Sport, Page 16, April 1935:
Centric Superchargers, Ltd., Ribble Bank Mills, Preston, Lancs.

http://archive.comme...ew-supercharger

Motor Sport, Page 258, Dec 1945:
"N.L.E.C.C.
The North London Enthusiasts' Car
Club visit to Heal's Studio of veteran
racing cars was a great success. Noel
Shorrock and "Stainless Stephen" were
amongst the guests - Shorrock's brother,
by the way, drove the 5-litre Ballot into
fifth place at Indianapolis in 1919."

(I can't find any evidence to stand this up. However "Chris Shorrock, the Centric supercharger expert drove another Ballot at Southport until a few years ago." Motor Sport, Page 318, Dec 1939.)

An obvious question - when did the Shorrock supercharger first appear?
I can find mention of a Shorrock-Clyde supercharger, October 1946, Goldie Gardner, M.G., Jabbeke, Belgium.
"Shorrock-designed Clyde supercharger"

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 16 December 2017 - 15:57.

Who made the superchargers for the 1930s twin cam Austin 7 single seaters and for that matter the centrifugal unit on the 1 1/2 litre BRM V16 ?

The Austin Twin-Cam used roots superchargers designed by Murray Jamieson and built by the Austin Motor Company. The BRM V16 supercharger was a centrifugal type designed and built by Rolls-Royce at Derby. When the BRM was no longer running in international formula one races R-R withdrew the on-site maintenance man, but I believe they still carried out maintenance back at Derby.