The Bantam 19 spark ignition engine was designed in 1939 by Ben Shereshaw of Newark, New Jersey, USA as a development of his earlier Bantam 16 side-port model of 1938. With its disc rear rotary vave induction allied to cross-flow loop scavenging, it looked very much to the future of model engine design. It was an instant sales and competition success, winning the US Senior Class A National Championship in both 1940 and 1941 before America's entry into WW2 in December 1941 put a temporary end to its production.

Returning in 1946, the Bantam once again won the Senior Class A National Championship for that year. However, Ben Shereshaw now wished to move on to other ventures, accordingly selling the entire Bantam project to the Herkimer Company of New York, manufacturers of the OK engines, in 1947. Herkimer went on to produce both spark ignition and glow-plug versions of the Bantam before finally ending its production in 1950.

The popularity and quality of the Bantam 19 have combined to ensure that a good many fine examples remain in circulation today. A full review of the Bantam, including some bench test results, appears elsewhere on this website.