Elliott 401

Only one 401 computer was ever built. It was an experimental and prototype machine built by Elliotts with considerable support from the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) who provided much of the funding, and some ideas for the initial design, which was completed by the summer of 1952. The machine was operational by March 1953, and it was almost immediately displayed at the Physical Society's annual exhibition at Imperial College, London, in April, where it performed very well. NRDC was delighted with the success of the exhibited 401, for it signified that the corporation had now promoted two British computer manufacturing companies in the UK: Ferranti building large computers and Elliotts to build small and medium sized ones.