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King and Harper Limited

History of King and Harper Ltd

One of the founders in 1900 of King and Harper, Henry Hori Harper, lived at 291 Hills Road during the 1920s and 30s. The 1929 Kelly’s Directory shows that King and Harper, automobile engineers and accessories dealers, had branches at 6 & 7 Bridge Street, Thompsons Lane, Milton Road and Hills Road. By 1961 it also dealt in electrical appliances and had 200 employees.

The first car in Cambridge had been owned by an undergraduate, the Hon. C S Rolls in 1897. It was a four seater Peugeot which had to be preceded by a man with a red flag. He then replaced it with a De Dion tricycle. When it broke down he got the help of King and Harper who repaired it. King and Harper then built their own tricycle which they converted to a four wheeler to allow passengers to be carried. It was exhibited at the 1902 Crystal palace Motor Show where it won a Gold Medal. (Vanishing Cambridge, Mike Petty p31)

Film of King and Harper’s can be found on the East Anglian Film Archive.

1932 https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=2067

1943 https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=3379

1952 https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=3378

The Cam Magazine, May 1937, contains an article about the history of the firm.