Burlen

What Burlen does

Burlen Ltd is a privately-held UK manufacturing company founded in 1971 in Salisbury, headquartered at Spitfire House, a former WWII Spitfire assembly factory. It is the world's sole manufacturer of genuine SU, Zenith (both IP acquired 2002) and Amal (acquired 2004) carburettors, fuel pumps and spares, producing replacement and restoration components for vintage and classic British cars, classic motorcycles, and pedal cars. The company operates five sub-brands (SU Carburetters, Amal Carburetters, Zenith Carburetters, Austin Pedal Cars, Skinners Union Clothing) across six branded e-commerce websites, with global shipping and a Salisbury trade counter serving enthusiasts and trade customers.

Burlen's core technology combines legacy manufacturing capability — original tooling, dies and jigs acquired from the closed Wood Lane SU plant in 1999 — with modern in-house 5-axis CNC machining brought in-house in 2008. Product lines span complete carburettors (HS2/HS4/HS6/HS8, HIF6, HIF44, H4, HD, Amal 375 Monobloc, 276/289 Pre-Monobloc, 275 Pre-monobloc slides), electric fuel pumps (AZX1405 dual HP, AUA25 LP) individually pressure-tested to specification, CAD-designed reproduction manifolds (Mini Cooper S H4), and restoration services returning worn units to factory-warranted condition using genuine parts. Adjacent lines include Austin J40/Pathfinder pedal cars and the J40 Continuation bespoke model.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced direct sales of carburettors and spares (ranging from under £1 for small parts to over £1,000 for complete conversion kits), professional carburettor restoration services, trade counter and dealer-channel B2B sales, branded merchandise (Skinners Union apparel from Abraham Moon and Brisbane Moss British cloths), and pedal car sales/restorations. The company is family-owned, with the Burnett family (founder John, sons Mark as MD, Jamie as Production Director, Andy as Logistics Director) in operational control since the 2000s, and employs 51-100 people with no external funding or parent company.

Name

Burlen

Legal name

Burlen Ltd

Website

https://burlen.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Burlen Ltd is a UK family-owned manufacturer and the world's sole producer of genuine SU, Amal and Zenith carburettors, fuel pumps and spares, serving vintage and classic car and motorcycle owners globally from its Salisbury headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salisbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Carburettors and Fuel Systems: Sale of complete carburettors, fuel pumps, and spares for SU, Amal, and Zenith brands to vintage and classic vehicle owners, motorcycle enthusiasts, and automotive restorers. Products sold include replacement carburettors, rebuild kits, manifold assemblies, throttle and choke cables, and restoration components.
2. Carburetter Restoration Services: Restoration and rebuild service for SU carburettors, bringing worn, damaged, and broken units back to factory-warranted condition using genuine parts and original technical specifications.
3. Merchandise and Apparel: Skinners Union Clothing Company branded merchandise including aprons, flat caps, t-shirts, bottle openers, cuff links, pencils, and accessories made from British manufactured cloths.
4. Austin Pedal Cars: Austin Pedal Cars division sells restored J40 and Pathfinder pedal cars, new parts, leather accessories, toys, books, and the J40 Continuation bespoke model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Burlen manufactures and supplies genuine SU, Amal, and Zenith carburettors, electric fuel pumps, and spares for vintage and classic cars and motorcycles. The company additionally restores customer-supplied carburettors to factory-warranted condition, provides technical support, and operates related divisions for Austin pedal car parts/restoration and branded clothing.

Product overview

Burlen is the world's sole manufacturer of genuine SU, Amal, and Zenith carburettors, fuel pumps, and spares for vintage and classic vehicles. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio comprising carburettor manufacturing and restoration services (SU, Amal, Zenith brands), technical support with online resources, electric fuel pumps, and related merchandise including Skinners Union clothing and Austin Pedal Cars. All products are manufactured on-site at the Salisbury headquarters with a combination of modern CNC machining and traditional engineering techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SU Carburetters: World's sole manufacturer of genuine SU carburettors, fuel pumps and spares for vintage and classic cars
• Amal Carburetters
• Zenith Carburetters
• Skinners Union
• Austin Pedal Cars

Products and services

• SU Carburettors Complete carburettors for vintage and classic cars including HS2, HS4, HS6, HS8, HIF6, HIF44, H4, and HD types, sold as service replacements and kits.
• Amal Carburettors Complete carburettors and spares for vintage, classic and historic motorcycles including 375 Monobloc, 276 and 289 Pre-Monobloc types, plus ongoing new products such as 275 Pre-monobloc slides (added 2025-03) and Amal Conical Air Filters (added 2023-01).
• Zenith Carburettors Zenith carburettors and associated parts for classic vehicles.
• SU Electric Fuel Pumps SU branded electric fuel pumps including AZX1405 Dual HP and AUA25 LP models, with repair kits and spare parts for vintage and classic vehicles.
• Carburettor Restoration Services Professional restoration and rebuild service bringing worn, damaged, and broken SU carburettors back to factory-warranted condition using genuine parts and original technical specifications.
• Austin Pedal Cars Restored Austin J40 and Pathfinder pedal cars, new parts, leather accessories, toys, books, restoration services, and the J40 Continuation bespoke model.
• Skinners Union Clothing Clothing brand offering aprons, flat caps, t-shirts, bottle openers, cuff links, pencils, and accessories made from British manufactured cloths (Shetland twill and cotton twill).
• AUC 8160 Thermostatic Choke Unit Bodies Replacement thermostatic choke unit bodies for SU carburettors, precision machined from solid aluminium billet.
• Mini Cooper S H4 Carburettor Manifold Assembly Cast aluminium inlet manifold assembly for twin SU H4 carburettors designed for Mini Cooper S applications.
• Land Rover SU Carburettor Conversion Kits Full conversion kit (ABF997) for Land Rover 2.25L Series engines, including HIF44 carburettor, throttle cable, and HNJ Engineering manifold conversion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fuel pump testing at 3.8psi for high pressure and 1.5psi for low pressure units ensures reliability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mission MotorsportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Motorsport is the Forces' Motorsport Charity supporting recovery and rehabilitation of individuals impacted by military service. Burlen supports the charity through sale of army green Daimler Ferret t-shirts with 100% of profits donated. Burlen's Austin Pedal Cars division also restored an Austin J40 pedal car for 8-year-old Alyssa Thomas who raised over £8,600 for the charity by breaking the Goodwood pedal car lap record.
• Bush MechanicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBush Mechanics support team that fitted an OM type SU carburetter onto Team TEN-acious's 1935 Austin 10 for the Africa Rally. The support team successfully helped the classic car complete the 5000km rally, with SU products never missing a beat.
• Caerphilly County Borough CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Austin Pedal Cars to unveil a Blue Plaque at the former Austin pedal car factory site in Bargoed, Wales. The plaque commemorates the factory's history producing 32,098 pedal cars and its role in the community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rimmer Bros: UK-based parts supplier for classic Triumph, Rover, and other British vehicles, offering both genuine and reproduction parts. Comparable niche heritage parts business serving British classic car owners with multi-channel direct sales.
• Moss Motors: US-based specialist distributor and manufacturer of restoration and replacement parts for classic British sports cars (MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Jaguar). Comparable to Burlen as a heritage-focused parts specialist serving the same vintage British car enthusiast customer base.
• Demon Tweeks: UK-based retailer and distributor of performance and classic car parts, including carburettor components. Comparable multi-channel classic car parts specialist serving enthusiast and motorsport customers.
• SNG Barratt: World's largest independent supplier of parts for classic Jaguar, MG, and Triumph vehicles. Comparable multi-channel classic British car parts specialist with similar heritage brand focus and global distribution.
• S&S Cycle: US-based manufacturer of carburettors and performance parts for V-twin motorcycles. Comparable to Burlen's Amal division as a specialist motorcycle carburettor manufacturer serving the classic/vintage motorcycle restoration market.
• Heritage Parts Centre: UK-based specialist in classic air-cooled Volkswagen parts, serving a similar enthusiast restoration market with proprietary reproduction parts and global e-commerce distribution. Comparable niche heritage parts business model.
• Burton Power: UK-based specialist in classic Mini performance and replacement parts. Highly comparable to Burlen's UK heritage parts focus, particularly for the SU carburettor-equipped Mini segment, with overlapping product lines and customer segments.
• Mini Spares: UK-based specialist supplier of parts for classic Mini models with broad catalogue and proprietary reproduction parts. Direct competitor to Burlen's classic Mini carburettor and component offerings, serving the same enthusiast segment.
• Holden Vintage & Classic: UK-based specialist in classic British car and motorcycle parts, with focus on vintage components and restoration supplies. Comparable niche heritage parts business with similar product range and target customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Holley Performance Products: Large US-based manufacturer of carburettors, fuel injection systems, and performance parts for muscle cars and hot rods. Comparable product category (automotive carburettors/fuel systems) but operates at significantly larger scale and broader market than Burlen's classic British car niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burlenco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Burlenltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/Burlenltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/burlenltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burlen