Traded as Carlton Cycles Ltd. Founder Fred Hanstock Area served Worldwide Founded 1898 | Industry Bicycle manufacture Defunct 1981 (1981) Ceased operations 1981 | |
Carlton cycles new old stock survivors
History
In 1898, Fred Hanstock founded Carlton Cycles in the Nottinghamshire village of Carlton-in-Lindrick. The company relocated to nearby Worksop in 1934.
Carlton Cycle’s greatest growth came from Dan O’Donovan. O’Donovan had been working in the motorcycle industry when he wandered by the Carlton booth at a trade show and asked for a job. Carlton Cycles needed a salesman and he joined on the spot. O’Donovan turned out to be a marketing marvel and within a short while the dealer network he established was among the largest in the cycling industry. This led to an increase in demand for the company's products and the Carlton Cycles factory expanding as a result. In 1939, two years after that trade show, Dan O’Donovan took over the company and established a family legacy that would later see his son joining in 1958.
The Raleigh Bicycle Company bought the company in 1960.