Over forty 4-alkoxyphenyl 4-alkoxybenzoates incorporating an olefinic double bond in one carbon chain and an optically active centre in the second (methyl branched) chain have been prepared. The effect of chain length and the position of the chiral centre on the liquid crystal transition temperatures of the esters has been investigated systematically. Apart from one important exception the double bond was maintained in a terminal position of the carbon chain. Several of the new esters exhibit an enantiotropic chiral smectic C mesophase at and just above room temperature.