Osborn Engineering Company

Osborn Engineering Company was a British manufacturer of motorcycles, which sold its machines under the OEC brand name.

The Osborn Engineering Company and its predecessor companies were founded by Frederick John Osborn, trading in partnership with W.T. Lord until 1906 with works in Shepherd's Bush, then as Osborn & Co Ltd, and later as Osborn Engineering Company. In the 1920s they had a 2-acre factory at Lees Lane, Gosport, and were engaged in a wide range of engineering activities. They built motorcycles for Burney & Blackburne, then from 1922 produced them as OEC-Blackburne, then later just OEC. Initially they used Blackburne engines, but later used other engine manufacturers such as JAP. The Osborn Engineering Company went into receivership in 1931, and the extensive premises at Lees Lane, Gosport were auctioned by the receiver on 17 December 1931.^[1] However the motorcycle part of the business survived and by 1933 OEC motorcycles were being produced by O.E.C. Ltd of Portsmouth. During the Second World War, OEC ceased motorcycle production to concentrate on war work, but went back to motorcycle production before ceasing production in 1954.