The founder of the Foden was one Edwin Foden, born on 5th August 1841 in the village of Smallwood near Sandbach, Cheshire.

 

 

Edwin Foden started work as an apprenticed to the agricultural engineering firm of Plant and Hancock in 1856 and was eventually rewarded for his work by becoming a partner.

 

Plant and Handcock manufactured steam engines, but these were only portables, but the self-propelled steam engines came into being during the 1880s in the form of the agricultural steam engine.

 

 

Edwin Foden Sons & Co Ltd, company was formed in 1887 and development work commenced on Edwin's idea of a superior steam wagon. By the 1901 a design had been produced which was to set the standard for steam wagons for the next twenty-five years. The company developed successive ranges of highly successful steam wagons. They, and arch-rival Sentinel, practically monopolised the market.

 

The Foden 'C' Type was the final design of the overtype (engine above boiler) Steam Wagon developed from earlier models. This wagon was introduced in the 1920's and had a double crank compound engine which developed 23 B.H.P. at 450 rpm it was fitted with spur gearing giving speeds up to 16 mph, but special gearing could be ordered which would enable the wagon to achieve 26 mph, double the permited speed limit for such wagons.

 

 

In 1932 Foden's finally realised that the future for the company was to change their production to diesel almost immediately.

 

 

In 1980 foden was sold to American firm PACCAR which is now a division of that company. In 1998 independent Foden production ceased and was replaced by models of DAF Trucks rebadged as Fodens. DAF trucks being acquired by PACCAR in 1996. Vehicles then had the option of either CAT, PACCAR or COMMINS ISME engines.