The
unabridged and updated version of a paper written by Tony Hadland
in June 2000 for the 11th International Cycle History Conference held
at Osaka in August 2000. An abridged version appears in the conference
proceedings with many other interesting papers on a wide range of
cycle history topics. You can order copies of the proceedings by phone,
fax, paper mail or e-mail from: Van der Plas Publications, 1282 7th
Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA, Telephone (USA) 415-665-8214,
Fax: (USA) 415-753-8572, E-mail: vanderp@jps.net
The Raleigh range circa 1977. Note the preponderance of small-wheeled
bicycles.
1.
Introduction
Raleigh UK, once the world’s biggest manufacturer of cycles,
recently stopped volume production of cycle frames. It is now quitting
what remains of the Nottingham site it occupied throughout the 20th
century.
This paper examines how, in the period 1975-1999, Raleigh adapted
to changing circumstances. These circumstances include customer
taste and fashion, developments in marketing techniques, technological
change in manufacturing and finished products, and competition from
other manufacturers.
To provide context, a brief historical background is provided. There
then follows a detailed review of products presented in broadly
chronological order. This includes sales trends, product management,
the treatment of high-end products and the transfer of ownership
from Tube Investments to Derby International. Thereafter there are
sections on marketing and production facilities.
The conclusion attempts to assess how well Raleigh performed during
the last quarter of the 20th century, and to set this performance
in context.
2. Historical background
2.1 1886-1949
Raleigh Street, Nottingham, was the site of a small workshop which
in 1886 started producing diamond-frame safety bicycles at the rate
of three a week. Frank Bowden, a successful lawyer and convert to
cycling, bought the firm in 1887 and in December 1888 founded The
Raleigh Cycle Company as a limited liability private company. It
grew rapidly and within a few years was a large public company capitalised
at £100,000 (equivalent to about £5m today).
In 1902, Sturmey-Archer gears were added to the product range. Six
years later, Bowden bought back Raleigh, which was to remain in
family hands for the next quarter century. By the early 1920s, Raleigh
was a world leader, capable of producing annually 100,000 cycles,
250,000 hub gears 15,000 motorcycles and 50,000 motorcycle gearboxes.
Raleigh survived the Great Depression well. It acquired Humber cycles
in 1932 and the following year started producing a three-wheeler
car. In 1934 Raleigh reverted to public company status, as Raleigh
Cycle Holdings Ltd, with a share issue of more than £2m (=
about £65m today). By 1938, its production of bicycles had
grown to nearly 500,000 units per annum and the company had stopped
making motorcycles and cars.
During the Second World War (1939-45), Raleigh concentrated on munitions
work. The name of its budget range, launched in 1938 as Gazelle,
was changed to Robin Hood, and Raleigh acquired Rudge-Whitworth.
After the war, despite shortages of fuel and steel, Raleigh’s
cycle production rose rapidly. By 1949, it had reached about 750,000,
the majority of which was exported.
The main Raleigh plant at Nottingham in its heyday
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