34 replies to this topic

[David Beard]

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?

[vintagetriumph]

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

[David Beard]

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

Thanks, that sounds helpful. I have sent Derek an enquiry.

[David McKinney]

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

(Or am I talking bollock?)

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

[David Beard]

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

(Or am I talking bollock?)

Don't know, but...

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

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

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

[Sharman]

Don't know, but...

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

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

Never called it anything but Shorrocks, had one on a Minor 1000 in years(many)gone by.

[cooper997]

This is the address published in 'The Motor' Reference Yearbook 1960.
Shorrock Superchargers Ltd - member of The Owen Organisation, Church St, Wednesbury, Staffs. Tel Wednesbury 1764.

As far as I'm (very briefly) aware, it was Noel & Chris Shorrock. Chris often had the handlebar moustache.

They were popular on Sprites because Alfred Owen & Chris Shorrock made an agreement with Donald Healey at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show. Which probably means John Sprinzel sold a few while he was running the London branch of the Donald Healey Motor Company around that time.

As already mentioned Allard also dealt with Shorrock.

Stephen

[Catalina Park]

From the website http://www.shorrocksuperchargers.co.uk/

[David McKinney]

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

[Sharman]

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

Possessive Shorrock's?

[David McKinney]

If I'm right in thinking the designer's name was Shorrocks, then it's conceivable that somewhere along the line someone made the assumption that the final 's' was a possessive, and dropped it. But strange for it to change officially

[Geoff E]

SHORROCK ... SHORROCKS

Both are "real" names. In terms of England and Wales birth registrations in the first decade of the 20th century, the former outnumbered the latter by about 50 to 10 each year.

Without the leading "S" - HORROCKS - there were well over 100 registrations each year ... but not a single HORROCK.

Very few of those registrations were outside Lancashire.

I'm not sure when Supercharger Shorrock was born but in the period 1891 to 1921, there were seven Christopher SHORROCKs registered but only one Christopher SHORROCKS.

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

[Tim Murray]

On the website linked to by David and Catalina Park there's this original Shorrock document which starts off:

What is Shorrock Power?

Christopher Shorrock explains ....

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

[cooper997]

A bit more digging...

At the 1961 Racing Car Show on the Owen Organization - stand 30, there was a display of Shorrock products on Ford Anglia & BMC A-Series engines, etc. In the spiel from the event programme, 'Shorrock' is mentioned 4 times.

Sporting Motorist November 1960 has the announcement of Donald Healey's agreement with Shorrock for sole world-wide distribution for fitment to BMC vehicles. Similarly the same piece mentions Allard's agreement for Ford.

Could it be that in a generic sense, motoring enthusiasts simply termed them 'Shorrocks' and that has stuck in their mind.

Maybe somewhere under all the piles & piles of BRM research DCN has done, Shorrock comes up in there too.

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

Stephen

[cooper997]

Just having a look on Mark Forster's great Mini website - www.mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk and found a Shorrock supercharger for sale in the forum section. There's a photo of the identification plate fitted to the unit. Clearly states 'Shorrock Superchargers Ltd'.

http://mk1-forum.net...c.php?f=7&t=215

Stephen

[RTH]

As they positively claim no modification to the engine is needed prior to fitting the supercharger and the compression ratio on a some of the 'A' series engines was already 9:1 they must have been quite a low pressure unit and would have consumed quite a bit of the extra power in driving the supercharger as well. No doubt a vane type supercharger such as this would have needed routine vane replacement if used for daily work and substantial mileage.

[Allan Lupton]

To kick this thread out of the pointless debate about the name (which David could and (I assume) did read off the plate on his supercharger) I'd go along with Vintagetriumph that Derek Chinn is the man to repair/refurbish a Shorrock supercharger, or more or less any supercharger/blower. He lists most makes of vane supercharger (though I have to say the speling of their names a bit hit-and-miss) and even makes roots blowers himself.
Be interested to know how the enquiry you sent was answered, David.

[Geoff E]

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

I have now

One Noel SHORROCK 1905 in Blackburn district - that's all.

[Mr Plug]

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....

[D-Type]

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....

Did he put the vacuum pump on the exhaust? Or did he try it instead of the Shorrock?

[RobMk2a]

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 

[RTH]

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

 

This

 

 

 

Plus this 

 

 

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

[Steve123]

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.

[Rupertlt1]

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.

[Geoff E]

Noel Shorrock

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

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.

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

[RobMk2a]

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 

[Rupertlt1]

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.

[RobMk2a]

Yes Rupert, one of Ray's Jomars ran 1500cc Climax engine with a Shorrock supercharger.

Rob

[Steve123]

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?

[Geoff E]

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 have a subscription to FindMyPast https://www.findmypast.co.uk/

This gives me access to the 1939 register and the British Newspaper Archive (among other things).

The deed poll thing was in the London Gazette. https://www.thegazet...35702/page/3999

[Rupertlt1]

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.

[Geoff E]

A 1938 newspaper article says under a photo, "Mr C Shorrock, designer of the Centric supercharger chosen for Major Gardner's new MG"

In July 1935, there was a relay race at Brooklands which included "Two Preston drivers, Noel Shorrock with the Centric-supercharged MG Midget ..."

A 1937 article names Mr Shorrock as Managing Director of Centric Superchargers Ltd.

[Geoff E]

Centric Superchargers went bust before WW2 https://www.thegazet.../34591/page/495

[RTH]

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 ?

[fuzzi]

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.