HARRINGTONS OF HOVE Coach builders of distinction

In 1897 Thomas Harrington started a business building horse-drawn wagonettes, flys and Landaus at his premises in Church Street, Brighton, Sussex. Within three years the original works was expanded and new showrooms were acquired in King Street. For many years Harringtons concentrated on the construction of custom-built car bodies.

The standardisation of car body designs by manufacturers in the 1920s caused the decline of that part of Harrington’s activities and Mr Harrington turned his attention to producing bodywork for luxury coaches. This proved a successful move as travel by motor coach was becoming fashionable among the growing middle classes.

In 1930 the company transferred to new purpose-built headquarters known as the Sackville Works in Old Shoreham Road, Hove, then considered a separate and upmarket neighbour of Brighton. There the company built up a reputation that was, in this writer’s opinion, second to none in the coach-building world, with orders from all the major coaching firms in Great Britain such as Southdown Motor Services and Grey-Green Coaches. It also built many specialist vehicles including luxury horse boxes for racehorses and a successful line of Sunbeam Alpine racing sports cars.

This article includes memories from a former employee who had