Canadian production was mainly at CPR Angus Shops in Montreal and 1,420 were produced in Canada, of which 1,388 were sent to the Soviet-Union. An order was placed in 1940 with Canadian Pacific and after modifications to the Valentine design to use local standards and materials, the production prototype was finished in 1941. To develop its own tank forces, Canada had established tank production facilities. Vickers-Armstrong produced 2,515 vehicles and Metropolitan 2,135 total UK production was 6,855 tanks, with 2,394 exported from Britain to the Soviet Union under lend-lease. Vickers output started at ten per month rising to 45 per month in a year and peaking at 20 per week in 1943, before production was slowed and then production of the Valentine and derivatives stopped in 1945. Metropolitan used two sites, with Wednesbury joined by their Midland site in production of the Valentine. Metropolitan and the BRCW had built small numbers of the A10, their production runs were just finishing and they delivered their first Valentines in mid-1940. Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon-an associate company of Vickers-and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) were contracted to produce the Valentine. During late 1940 and early 1941, Valentines were used in the cruiser tank role in British-based armoured divisions, and they were supplied to tank brigades of the Eighth Army in North Africa from June 1941. The trials were successful and the vehicle was rushed into production as "Tank, Infantry, Mark III" no pilot models were required as much of the mechanics had been proven on the A10, and 109 had been built by the end of September. The vehicle reached trials in May 1940, which coincided with the loss of much of the army's equipment in France, during Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk. At the start of the war, Vickers were instructed to give priority to the production of tanks. Concerned by the situation in Europe, it finally approved the design in April 1939 and placed the first order in July for deliveries in May 1940.
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The War Office was initially deterred by the size of the turret, since they considered a turret crew of three necessary, to free the vehicle commander from direct involvement in operating the gun. By using components already proven on the A9 and A10, the new design was easier to produce and much less expensive. Compared to the earlier Infantry Tank Mk II "Matilda", the Valentine had somewhat weaker armour and almost the same top speed. The tank was to carry a 2-pounder gun in a two-man turret (the A.11 was armed only with a heavy machine gun), a lower silhouette and be as light as possible, resulting in a very compact vehicle with a cramped interior. The development team tried to match the lower weight of a cruiser tank, allowing the suspension and transmission parts of the A10 heavy cruiser to be used, with the greater armour of an infantry tank, working to a specification for a 60 mm (2.4 in) armour basis (the same as the A.11). As a private design by Vickers-Armstrongs, it did not receive a General Staff "A" designation it was submitted to the War Office on 10 February 1938. The Valentine started as a proposal based on Vickers' experience with the A9 and A10 specification cruiser tanks and the A11 (Infantry Tank Mk I). The "most prosaic" explanation according to David Fletcher is that it was just an in-house codeword of Vickers with no other significance. Another version says that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrongs Limited Elswick & (Newcastle-upon) Tyne. White notes that "incidentally" Valentine was the middle name of Sir John Carden, the man who was responsible for many tank designs including that of the Valentine's predecessors, the A10 and A11. According to the most popular one, the design was presented to the War Office on St Valentine's Day, 14 February 1940, although some sources say that the design was submitted on Valentine's Day 1938 or 10 February 1938. There are several proposed explanations for the name Valentine.
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