Sir John Carden established his company in March 1936, while the Flying Flea craze was sweeping Britain. He saw a need for a cheap low-powered propulsion unit for ultralight aircraft. The engine was an adaptation of the well-proven and reliable Ford 10 Model C motor car engine. Following the death of Sir John in an air accident in December 1935, the company was taken over by Carden-Baynes Aircraft Ltd, and later sold to Chilton Aircraft Ltd, Chilton Foliat, near Hungerford, Berkshire.