The Best
Outboard Motor
For The World.
Since 1931, British Seagull has defined the rugged, simple outboard engine. The legacy remains - with over 2.5 million engines built and the majority still in service today.
Still proudly in British hands, original spare parts continue to be manufactured and supplied by Sheridan Marine, Moulsford.
Born at Sunbeam, Wolverhampton
British Seagull began on a drawing board at the John Marston Ltd & Sunbeam Motor Company, makers of the famous Sunbeam motorcycles, in Wolverhampton - about as far from the sea as you can get. The first engines were sold as the Marston Seagull.
They were designed to be simple, lightweight, and capable of driving a small boat at hull speed under any conditions.
To Poole - and a New Name
After moving to new premises on the Quay at Poole, Dorset, the engine was renamed British Seagull and proclaimed 'The Best Outboard Motor in the World' - later refined to the iconic 'The Best Outboard Motor For The World'.
The Seagull design was considered so near perfection that no serious alteration was contemplated until the mid-1960s. By the 1960s and 70s, the company was selling 80,000 units a year.
Sheridan Marine Takes the Helm
Production ceased in 1996 as emissions regulations tightened. But the story didn't end. In 1999, Chillington Marine handed the British Seagull name to Sheridan Marine, on the River Thames at Moulsford, Oxfordshire.
Sheridan Marine continue to manufacture and supply original spare parts - keeping hundreds of thousands of engines running to this day.
The Models
The famous Classic "square block" range used just two engine sizes - 64cc and 102cc - to cover a remarkable breadth of applications through different carburettors, gear ratios, and propeller diameters.
The original Seagull engine that spanned the longest manufacturing window, available for over 40 years.
An icon in the marine sector, these lightweight versatile engines were produced for over 40 years.
The bigger brother of the Forty Series, a heavyweight, powerful hard working engine, offering more torque.
An engine for the modern customer, introducing a reverse gearbox to the range alongside electronic ignition.
Specifically designed as a primary engine for motorboats with a remote fuel tank and a 'modern' cowling.
The most technically advanced British Seagull, designed in partnership with Queens University Belfast, more power and better economy.
Engineering that endures.
Simple by Design
All you need for most maintenance is a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, and a Seagull spanner. Ignition timing and carburettor settings are fixed and solid bronze bushings mean decades of trouble-free service.
Iconic Design
Iconic outboard engine design, most notably recognised by the black fuel tank, aluminium flywheel, the twin tube drive shaft and exhaust and lower end gearbox housing.
Robust & Powerful
A high gearbox reduction ratio turns a large, slow-moving propeller. The result: a Seagull can propel far larger boats than its rated horsepower suggests.
Original Spares Still Manufactured
Sheridan Marine continues to manufacture original British Seagull spare parts for the majority of the 68-model range for future generations to enjoy boating.
Original Spares
Sheridan Marine acquired British Seagull to continue manufacturing and supplying original spare parts by mail order to customers across the UK and around the world.
- Spark Plugs
- HT Leads
- Propeller Drive Springs
- Water Pump Rotors
- Gaskets & Piston Rings
- Manuals & Spares Books
Over 2.5 million British Seagull engines were produced. A remarkable proportion remain in service - as backup motors in bilges, on classic wooden yachts, and on rivers and estuaries worldwide.
Always quote your engine serial number when ordering. From 1963, the serial number tells you the model, production number, month and year of manufacture - essential for the correct parts.
You can run your two-stroke Seagull for as long as it lives.
British Seagull
at Sheridan Marine
Situated on the River Thames at Moulsford, Oxfordshire. Visit by boat or car, or order spare parts by mail order anywhere in the UK and abroad. Always quote your engine number when enquiring.
Oxfordshire, OX10 9HU