| Date | What might have happened |
Reason/Evidence/Justification.. |
1947 |
Star introduced |
Company probably started shortly after the war? Star is very 1940s technology... |
|
1949 |
Comet introduced |
Comet is an advance on the Star - generally better build quality – looks a bit later, and obviously introduces the paxolin/brass spacer design which all the later motors use. |
|
1951 |
Geared Comet introduced
|
The 'Gearbox Accessory' may also come from this era – maybe there was a need for more powerful motors as the electric takeover from steam started. It is pretty rare... |
|
1954 |
Marine introduced - has a drum commutator and is specified as 6 Volt |
Taycol now covers the big market. I guess at 1954 (maybe early 1955) for the Marine because it is very rare, existed in 57 and did not in 60. So it was probably only made for a few years. I assume 4 here. The gearbox accessory was probably dropped about now. |
|
1955 |
Torpedo introduced |
Taycol now covers the medium market. The Torpedo is advertised as 'New' in the December 1955 'Model Maker'. |
|
1956 |
Target introduced |
Probably quite late in 1956, so did not make it into the 1957 MAP Handbook? |
|
1957 |
SuperMarine introduced - advertised in April 1957 'Model Maker'. |
Range mentioned in 1957 MAP Handbook Star I assume the Target was created a few years before the matching 'reverse-winding' Asteroid – otherwise why make two similar motors? |
|
1958
|
Marine withdrawn Taycol's large motor is now 9-12 volt and has a plate commutator |
At some point between 1957 and 1960 the 'Marine' name changed to 'SuperMarine'. I guess this marks the change from a drum to a plate commutator. I don't know why the drum commutator 'Marine' was dropped – the plate may have been easier to make? There are regular questions about the voltages these motors are designed for – as far as I can see there was no change in the wiring gauge, and voltages were a matter of advice based on experience. Unless someone has different evidence...? |
|
1959 |
Reverse switch 'Special' series (Asteroid, Meteor, Supermarine Special) introduced |
The move to a separate reversing coil was probably market driven, but the company continued to make the older motors as well. I guess that they used the designator 'Special' to indicate the addition of a reversing coils if they kept the original motor name. This must have created inefficiencies in manufacture, warehousing and supply. It is obviously a major direction change, and I wish I knew something about the reason behind it... |
|
1960 |
Geared Comet withdrawn |
Range mentioned in 1960 KK Handbook: Comet Note that old 'Marine'-type drum commutator shown in drawings of the Supermarine. I am pretty sure that this is a mistake due to the use of old art-work, since the motor name has changed, but this is just a guess... |
|
1961 |
|
Range mentioned in 1961 KK Handbook: Star I would have guessed that the Star had been withdrawn before 1960, and that its inclusion here might be a mistake... |
|
1962 |
Standard introduced |
My father bought me a boat with a Standard motor about this time – I actually thought it was 1960 – depending on KK Handbook publication dates it could just have been... |
|
1963 |
Double Special introduced |
There are quite a few Double Specials around, so I guess they were introduced early in the 60s rather than later. This may have been a high point for Taycol – 10 different motors being manufactured? Alternatively the Star and Comet went before the Double and Standard were introduced, but I like to imagine a busy factory... |
|
1964 |
Star and Comet withdrawn |
Strong competition in the small motor sector from Japanese motors at much lower prices must have forced withdrawal of these older motors. I would have guesed that they went in the late 50s, and was surprised to see them still advertised in 61. Maybe that was another mistake...? |
|
1966 |
Asteroid withdrawn |
Asteroid also rare, though not so much as Marine. I assume 7-8 years of manufacture. |
|
1970 |
Torpedo withdrawn |
A pure guess. It went sometime between 61 and 72, and I think it's more common than an Asteroid. This gives it 14 years of manufacture... |
|
1971 |
SuperMarine Special withdrawn |
It went sometime between 61 and 72. The SuperMarine Special is not rare, but certainly uncommon – I assume 12 years of manufacture. |
|
1972 |
|
Range mentioned in 1972 KK Handbook: Target |
|
1974 |
Target withdrawn |
By now the small size market must have been overwhelmingly Japanese – I assume the Target went closer to 72 than 79... |
|
1979 |
|
Range mentioned in 1979 KK Handbook: Meteor By now the range is entirely medium to large, and the model industry is diminishing. I guess the company has not got many years left. Taylor and Collis must be 65 years old or over by now. |
|
1982 |
Company closes?
|
I suspect, given how common the surviving examples are now, that the Meteor and the SuperMarine had the longest manufacturing runs... |