British Seagull

British Seagull was a British manufacturer of simple and rugged two-stroke marine outboard motors, produced from the late 1930s until the mid-1990s. Originally based in Wolverhampton, the company moved to Poole, Dorset, a centre for boating and yachting. Seagull engines were utilitarian outboards with a relatively slow-turning prop. They were ideal for use in dinghies, tenders and small yachts, but were unsuited for high-speed craft.

British Seagull's "Classic" range of engines became renowned for their reliability and near-indestructability. Production continued unchanged for many decades with barely any revisions or updates. Such was the quality of the metals used, that many are still operational many decades later. Ultimately, the Seagull product could not match more modern outboards such as Yamaha, Evinrude and Tohatsu, which were more efficient (with fewer emissions), more attractive, and more user-friendly. British Seagull ceased production of complete engines in 1996.