Company History

Leda Suspension was founded by Len Dixon in 1978.

Len has spent a lifetime working in the motor industry including 9 years at Armstrong Patents where he was the Technical Liaison Engineer based at Ford Motor Company. Len has spent a lot of time travelling, including to Finland for testing of new vehicles on the ice, and all over the world as the suspension specialist for Formula One. Later Len joined Woodhead Manufacturing, an original equipment shock absorber manufacturer based in Essex, England.

After 5 years at Woodhead Len decided to set up on his own and founded Chelmsford Suspension Services with his wife Carol, which became Leda Suspension Ltd in 1985. From the outset, Leda set about designing and manufacturing its own range of adjustable damping struts and shock absorbers for all classes of motorsport.

Leda philosophy was, and still is simple; to make tough, reliable, durable suspension units that withstand the rigors of international motorsport, whilst being easy to service and rebuild. These days, the Internet has become a major marketing tool for all companies and Leda is no exception. Their website, www.leda.com, contains information on the whole product range, distributors and news. Leda exports all over the world, including the USA, Malaysia, South Africa & Australia. Leda exhibit at various shows around the UK, most importantly at Autosport International every January, where they have exhibited since it began. They have also displayed at shows in the USA, Europe and the Far East.

In December 1996 Leda's expansion led to the acquisition of a new factory in Braintree, Essex which doubled the capacity of manufacturing, R&D and workshop areas. In 1998, Len's daughter Beverley joined the company, later becoming the Sales & Marketing Director, and in 2002 his son-in-law, Andy came on board as Operations Director.

It was in 2003 and 2004 though that Leda saw the most dramatic expansion and reorganization. In November 2003 Len retired and Beverley took over as Managing Director. In 2004 Leda invested in state of the art geometry alignment and corner weighting equipment, which allows us to offer a full install and setup service.

Leda now offer a range of products that compliment their own range, such as Eibach Springs, Powerflex Bushes and Galfer Brakes. In recent months, we have made some dramatic changes to the building, including fitting new vehicle entry doors, and a complete re-decoration. Our 'Special Vehicles' sector is expanding, and our Motorsport sector is seeing a continuous increase in race wins.

Come and see us, we are always happy to welcome visitors, or call and have a chat. Switching to Leda will bring a change you won't regret.