93-768: There were four Austin cars to use the Seven name: The name Austin Seven was also used to refer to the LMS Class 7F 0-8-0 engines . The name Seven will be brought back by Mini for a visual package on the existing 3-door and 5-door Mini Cooper and Cooper S worldwide from July 2016. Austin Motor Company The Austin Motor Company Limited was a British manufacturer of motor vehicles , founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin in Longbridge. In 1952 it
186-511: A Mr W R Morris of Holywell St. Oxford who ran a garage and hire car business there, as well as making bicycles. Then the London head office followed. After some heated discussions Siddeley resigned in the spring of 1909 and Rothschild went, too. He resigned from Wolseley in 1909 to go into partnership with H P P Deasy and manage the Deasy Motor Company , also of Coventry. Ernest Hopwood
279-983: A Wolseley car chassis. This operating car was employed during the Gallipoli Campaign at Suvla, in the Libyan Desert (during the Senussi Campaign ) and at Kantara in Egypt, before being attached to the Desert Mounted Corps Operating Unit in 1917. Subsequently, taking part in the Southern Palestine Offensive, which culminated in the Capture of Jerusalem . In 1918, Wolseley began a joint venture in Tokyo, with Ishikawajiama Ship Building and Engineering . The first Japanese-built Wolseley car rolled off
372-581: A design by Léon Bollée that he had seen in Paris. Later he found that another British group had bought the rights and he had to come up with a design of his own, having persuaded the directors of WSSMC to invest in the necessary machinery. In 1897 Austin's second Wolseley car, the Wolseley Autocar No. 1 was revealed. It was a three-wheeled design (one front, two rear) featuring independent rear suspension, mid-engine and back to back seating for two adults. It
465-548: A disused printing works which was less than ten years old. It was located seven miles south-west of Birmingham in the small village of Longbridge (then still within Worcestershire ). The following month The Austin Motor Company Limited was incorporated. In the last week of April 1906 a large body of motorists travelled to Longbridge "where snow lay full three inches deep on the ground and was still falling fast" to see
558-466: A four-speed gearbox and chain drive. John Siddeley (1st Baron Kenilworth) founded his Siddeley Autocar Company in 1902 to manufacture cars to Peugeot designs. He had Peugeot-based demonstration cars at the Crystal Palace in 1903. By 1905, the company had a dozen models for sale and some of them were built for him at Vickers' Crayford, Kent factory. During 1905 Wolseley—which then dominated
651-659: A grille badge simply saying "Montego", while the rear badges just said "Montego" and the engine size/trim level. A revamped Metro was launched in May 1990 and got the new K-series engine. It then became the Rover Metro. Despite sales of both the Maestro and Montego being in decline by 1990, these ranges continued in production until 1994 and never wore a Rover badge on their bonnets in Britain. They were, however, sometimes referred to as "Rovers" in
744-593: A huge motorcycle surmounted by a car body, but with the ability to balance when stationary due to the gyroscopic stabilisation mechanism. It made a number of demonstration runs, but unfortunately with the onset of war it was put to one side. It was discovered again in 1938 when workmen uncovered its well preserved remains in the Ward End property of Wolseley. It was then transferred into the Wolseley Museum. From 1912 lorries and other commercial vehicles were supplied. Until
837-514: A low speed. High efficiency V8 engines were made for hydroplanes as well as straight eights to run on petrol or paraffin. Weight was very important and these engines were of advanced design. The airship Mayfly was fitted with Wolseley engines. A Ferdinand de Baeder (1865–1944), Belgian holder of Aviator's certificate No. 107, won Prix des Pilots, Prix des Arts et Metiers, Coupe Archdeacon, Prix Capitaine Berger at Châlons-en-Champagne in his Wolseley-engined Voisin biplane on 30 December 1909. By
930-534: A marque in its own right, under the Austin Morris division of British Leyland that had been virtually nationalised in 1975. It was upgraded at the end of 1981 to become the Austin Ambassador (and gaining a hatchback) but by that time there was little that could be done to disguise the age of the design, and it was too late to make much of an impact on sales. By the end of the 1970s, the future of Austin and
1023-462: A new marque, Austin-Healey , and a range of sports cars. With the threat to fuel supplies resulting from the 1956 Suez Crisis , Lord asked Alec Issigonis , who had been with Morris from 1936 to 1952, to design a small car; the result was the revolutionary Mini , launched in 1959. The Austin version was initially called the Austin Seven, but Morris' Mini Minor name caught the public imagination and
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#17328516558731116-499: A site for a new showroom and offices in London's Piccadilly by the Ritz Hotel. Over £250,000 was spent on the magnificent new building, Wolseley House. This was more than double their profits for 1919, when rewarding government contracts were still running. Those contracts ended. The government then brought in a special tax on "excess wartime profits". There was a moulders' strike from December 1919 to April 1920, but in spite of that it
1209-540: A slightly larger body with 1489 cc engine – was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins between 1953 and 1959. During the Second World War Austin continued building cars but also made trucks and aircraft, including Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster bombers. The post-war car range was announced in 1944, and production started in 1945. The immediate post-war range was mainly similar to that of
1302-449: A sprag to prevent it running backwards. "We recommend pneumatic tyres for all cars required to run over twenty miles an hour." Austin then provided a paragraph as to why his horizontal engines were better lubricated (than vertical engines) and that 750 rpm, the speed of his Wolseley engines, avoided the short life of competing engines that ran between 1,000 and 2,000 rpm." The association with Vickers not only helped in general design but in
1395-539: A tendency then arose for journalists to follow the company's full-page display advertising and drop the first word in Wolseley Siddeley — " Siddeley Autocars made by (in smaller typeface) the Wolseley Tool . . ." Certainly it was true the new engines were named Siddeley engines. Meanwhile, under Siddeley Wolseley maintained the sales lead left to him by Austin but, now run from London, not (Austin's base) Birmingham,
1488-720: A vertical engine and, in all but minor detail, was identical to the English-built Clément-Gladiators assembled in the same factory. A further injection of capital was needed in 1906 and William Harvey Du Cros (1846–1918) joined the board of directors. After that Harvey Du Cros junior of the Swift Cycle Co and Austin each held approximately half of the ordinary capital. Herbert Austin remained chairman and managing director. Austin's cars, like Wolseley's, were luxury vehicles. The published customer list included Russian Grand Dukes, Princesses, Bishops, high officials of
1581-668: The 1100 of 1963, (although the Morris-badged version was launched 13 months earlier than the Austin, in August 1962), the 1800 of 1964 and the Maxi of 1969. This meant that BMC had spent 10 years developing a new range of front-drive, transverse-engined models, while most competitors had only just started to make such changes. The big exception to this was the Austin 3-litre . Launched in 1968, it
1674-731: The 4/44 (later 15/50 ) and 6/90 , which were closely related to the MG Magnette ZA/ZB and the Riley Pathfinder / Two-point-Six respectively. In 1957 the Wolseley 1500 was based on the planned successor to the Morris Minor , sharing a bodyshell with the Riley One-Point-Five . The next year, the Wolseley 15/60 debuted the new mid-sized BMC saloon design penned by Pinin Farina . It
1767-463: The Ciclomotore Wolsit from 1910 to 1914. A team of Wolsit cars competed in motoring events in 1907. After 1911 the name on the cars was again just Wolseley. Chetwynd's recommendations soon led to a revival in profits and a rapid expansion of Wolseley's business. The Adderley Park factory was greatly extended in 1912. These extensions were opened in 1914 but there was not sufficient space for
1860-845: The Dixi ); by the Japanese manufacturer Datsun ; as the Bantam in the United States; and as the Rosengart in France. In England the Austin was the most produced car in 1930. The American Austin Car Company struggled to sell tiny Austin cars in the US market. It operated as a largely independent subsidiary from 1929 to 1934 was revived after bankruptcy under the name " American Bantam " from 1937 to 1941. They became best known as
1953-476: The Midland Bank thereby allowing Austin to keep virtually total ownership of his own business through his personal savings. Further assistance came from Dunlop patent holder Harvey du Cros . However, Austin's great rival, William Morris , was able to enter the industry proper (he first repaired cars) a little later funding his operation entirely from his own resources. In November 1905 Herbert Austin acquired
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#17328516558732046-578: The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a , but also produced a number of its own designs. None of these progressed past the prototype stage. They included: Wolseley Motors#The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited Wolseley Motors Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in early 1901 by the Vickers Armaments in conjunction with Herbert Austin . It initially made a full range, topped by large luxury cars, and dominated
2139-474: The Second World War . After that, Wolseley products were "badge-engineered" Morris cars. Wolseley went with its sister businesses into BMC, BMH and British Leyland, where its name lapsed in 1975. Hiram Maxim , inventor of the machine gun that bears his name, and by then a member of the combine Vickers Sons & Maxim, had consulted Herbert Austin at The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company Limited in
2232-431: The Seven , Austin weathered the worst of the depression and remained profitable through the 1930s, producing a wider range of cars which was steadily updated by the introduction of all-steel bodies, Girling brakes, and synchromesh gearboxes. However, all the engines retained the same side-valve configuration. Deputy chairman Ernest Payton became chairman in 1941 on the death of Lord Austin. In 1938 Leonard Lord joined
2325-489: The Vickers brothers Austin started a separate car manufacturing business still using the name Wolseley. In 1905 he fell out with Thomas and Albert Vickers over engine design. Leaving his creation, Wolseley , which he had made Britain's largest motor vehicle manufacturer, Austin obtained the backing of steel magnate Frank Kayser for his own enterprise. Kayser provided funds through mortgages and loans, debentures and guarantees to
2418-404: The original Wolseley business, which had a highly cyclical sales pattern, Herbert Austin searched for products with a steady demand. Starting in 1895, he built three cars in his free time. They were among Britain's first cars. The third car, a four-wheeler, was completed in 1899. By 1901 his fellow directors could not see future profit in motor vehicles and so with their blessing and the backing of
2511-466: The (1927), and consolidated its production at the sprawling Ward End Works in Birmingham . He sold off large unwanted portions of Wolseley's Adderley Park plant with all his own Soho, Birmingham works and moved Morris Commercial Cars from Soho to the remainder of Adderley Park. In 1919 Vickers had decided Wolseley should build relatively cheap cars in large quantity – as it turned out – not
2604-554: The 1661 cc Twelve in 1922 and, later the same year, the Seven , an inexpensive, simple small car and one of the earliest to be directed at a mass market. One of the reasons for a market demand for a cars like the Austin 7 was the British tax code . In 1930 every personal car was taxed by its engine size, which in American dollars was $ 2.55 per cubic inch of piston displacement. As an example,
2697-671: The Arrow 2, a two seater version of the Arrow, alongside announcing an electric commercial Austin van to be released approximately 18-24 months after the launch of the Arrow 1 and 2. By May 2023, a production line had been set up in Rajkot, India . The Austin Arrow subsequently entered production in October 2023. Austin started his business in an abandoned print works at Longbridge , Birmingham. Due to its strategic advantages over Morris 's Cowley plant, Longbridge became British Leyland 's main factory in
2790-528: The Austin badge was phased out and Austin Rover became the Rover Group from the following year. The Austin cars continued to be manufactured, although they ceased to be Austins. They became "marque-less" in their home market with bonnet badges the same shape as the Rover longship badge but without "Rover" written on them. Instead any badging just showed the model of the car: a Montego of this era, for instance, would have
2883-502: The Austin trademark. The agreement called for Nissan to make all Austin parts locally within three years, a goal Nissan met. Nissan produced and marketed Austins for seven years. The agreement also gave Nissan rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used in developing its own engines for its Datsun line of cars. In 1953, British-built Austins were assembled and sold, but by 1955, the Austin A50 – completely assembled by Nissan and featuring
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2976-639: The Birmingham Corporation. They also built many specials such as electric lighting sets and motor boat engines – catalogued sizes were from 12 hp to 250 hp with up to twelve cylinders and complete with gearboxes. Fire engines too and special War Office vehicles being a subsidiary of a major armaments firm. As befits a company with tool in its name they built machine tools including turret lathes and horizontal borers though chiefly for their own use or for group members. Large engines were made to power petrol-electric railcars, such as those used by
3069-523: The First World War. In January 1914 the chairman, Sir Vincent Caillard , told shareholders they owned probably the largest motor-car producing company in the country and that its factory floor space now exceeded 17 acres. Entering wartime as Britain's largest car manufacturer Wolseley initially contracted to provide cars for staff officers and ambulances. Government soon indicated their plant might be better used for supplies more urgently needed. Postwar
3162-609: The Morris Organisation later promoted as the Nuffield Organization After the war Wolseley left Adderley Park, Morris and Wolseley production was consolidated at Cowley . The first post-war Wolseleys, the similar 4/50 and 6/80 models used overhead camshaft Wolseley engines, were otherwise based on the Morris Oxford MO and Morris Six MS but given the traditional Wolseley radiator grille. The Wolseley 6/80
3255-501: The Morris version outsold its Austin twin, so the Austin's name was changed to Mini to follow suit. In 1970, British Leyland dropped the separate Austin and Morris branding of the Mini, and it was subsequently simply "Mini", under the Austin Morris division of BLMC. The principle of a transverse engine with gearbox in the sump and driving the front wheels was applied to larger cars, beginning with
3348-620: The Nanjing International Exhibition in May 2006, Nanjing announced it might use the Austin name on some of the revived MG Rover models, at least in the Chinese market. Nanjing Automobile Group itself later merged with SAIC Motor . In 2012, a new "Austin Motor Company" was registered by former Longbridge worker Steve Morgan. Morgan had no rights to the brand itself and stated that he had no intention to trade, but rather registered
3441-642: The North-Eastern Railway Company in 1904, and still larger engines were made for the Delaware and Hudson railroad. In 1905 they also offered petrol narrow-gauge railway locomotives. The amazing Brennan mono-rail truck which gave rides at the Japan–British Exhibition at Shepherd's Bush in 1910, used a 20HP engine manufactured by the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car company to power the gyroscopic stabilisation and an 80HP Wolseley engine for
3534-515: The Olympia Show in November 1919. The design of the 10 hp and 15 hp engines closely followed their wartime Hispano aero engine using an overhead camshaft. The public considered the 15 hp was too innovative and a new "14 hp" car using the same engine was hastily created to fill the gap. Wolseley duly took over the Ward End, Birmingham munitions factory from Vickers in 1919 and purchased
3627-452: The Spanish government and a long list of Britain's highest nobility. Sources Note: in 1912 Wolseley sold 3,000 cars. In February 1914 Austin-manufactured bodies in tourer, limousine, landaulette and coupé styles could be provided with engines of 15, 20, 30 and 60 hp. Ambulances and commercial vehicles were also provided. Austin became a public listed company in 1914 when the capital
3720-532: The UK car market—purchased the goodwill and patent rights of his Siddeley Autocar Company business and appointed Siddeley London sales manager of Herbert Austin 's The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited owned by Vickers, Sons and Maxim . A few months later Herbert Austin left Wolseley to found his own Austin Motor Company due to resolute refusal to countenance new vertical engines for his Wolseleys, whatever his directors might wish. Austin handed in his resignation
3813-423: The board of WSSMC had lost interest in the nascent motor industry. Thomas and Albert Vickers, directors of Vickers and Maxim , Britain's largest armaments manufacturer, had much earlier decided to enter the industry at the right moment and, impressed by Austin's achievements at WSSMC, they took on his enterprise. When Austin's five-year contract officially ended in 1906 they had made more than 1,500 cars. Wolseley
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3906-439: The business a new lease of life. At the November 1905 Olympia Motor Show , the first at the former National Agricultural Hall, two small 6 hp and 8 hp cars were still exhibited with horizontal engines but there were also Siddeley's new 15, 18 and 32 hp cars with vertical engines. This switch to vertical engines brought Wolseley a great deal of publicity and their products soon lost their old-fashioned image. However
3999-537: The business and Maxim and the Vickers brothers picked it up. After his five-year contract with The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company ended Austin founded The Austin Motor Company Limited . Austin had been searching for other products for WSSMC because sale of sheep-shearing machinery was a highly seasonal trade. About 1895–96 he became interested in engines and automobiles. During the winter of 1895–96, working in his own time at nights and weekends, he made his own version of
4092-418: The chairman, Sir Vincent Caillard, was able to report Wolseley had provided, quantities are approximate: Aero engines produced in wartime included: The Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade 's Field Ambulance developed an operating car, designed by Colonel H. Wade in 1914, which enclosed an operating table, sterilisers, full kit of instruments and surgical equipment, wire netting, rope, axes and electric lighting in
4185-490: The company board and became chairman in 1946 on the death of Ernest Payton. In 1932, Datsun built cars infringing Austin patents. From 1934, Datsun began to build Sevens under licence and this operation became the greatest success of Austin's overseas licensing of its Seven. It marked the beginning of Datsun's international success. In 1952, Austin entered into another agreement with Datsun for assembly of 2,000 imported Austins from "knock-down kits", to be sold in Japan under
4278-597: The early 1970s. Following the Austin marque's discontinuance in 1987, Rover and MG continued to use the plant. The collapse of MG Rover meant it was not used from 2005 until MG production resumed from 2008 until 2016. The plant is currently leased by SAIC as a research and development facility for its MG Motor Subsidiary. For a list see : Austin Commercial Vehicles During the First World War Austin built aircraft under licence, including
4371-615: The end of the decade. April 1984 saw the introduction of the Maestro-derived Montego saloon, successor to the Morris Ital . The new car received praise for its interior space and comfort as well as its handling, but early build-quality problems took time to overcome. The spacious estate version, launched six months later, was one of the most popular load carriers in Britain for several years after its launch. In 1986, Austin Rover's holding company BL plc became Rover Group plc and
4464-422: The export market and named Wolseley Messenger there. It remained in production until 1935. The Messenger was noted for its robust construction. A very deep section frame reached the full width of the body – incidentally providing the sill between running boards and body. The body itself was all-steel and its prototype was first in UK to have its whole side pressed in one. Wolseley's postwar engines were all of
4557-477: The first company to submit the Bantam Reconnaissance Car working prototype, saving time by using Austin nose and fender parts of what would evolve into the extremely successful and iconic WWII Willys MB "Jeep". The design was unfortunately handed over to Willys and Ford for production with a revised nose and fender design, while Bantam would largely just build trailers during the war. With the help of
4650-557: The late 1890s a number of times in relation to the design of flying machines , which Maxim was developing and constructing. Maxim made use of a number of suggestions made by Austin in Maxim's activities at his works in Crayford , Kent . Once the sheep shearing company had decided they would not pursue their automobile interest, an approach was made and agreement quickly reached. The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company of Adderley Park Birmingham
4743-723: The late 1930s but did include the 16 hp, significant for having the company's first overhead valve engine. Austin J40 pedal cars were manufactured during this era. From late 1950 to mid-1952 products, brochures and advertisements displayed in flowing script Austin of England as if in response to Morris' Nuffield Organization . It fell out of use with the financial merger with Morris in BMC. In 1952, The Austin Motor Company Limited merged ownership, but not identity, with long-term rival Morris Motors Limited , becoming The British Motor Corporation Limited , with Leonard Lord in charge. William Morris
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#17328516558734836-420: The line in 1922. After World War II the Japan venture was reorganized, renaming itself Isuzu Motors in 1949. Thomas Vickers died in 1915, and Albert Vickers in 1919, both having reached their eighties. During the war, Wolseley's manufacturing capacity had rapidly developed and expanded. Immediately postwar, the Vickers directors decided to manufacture cars in large quantities at relatively cheap prices. Demand
4929-463: The market in the Edwardian era . The Vickers brothers died and, without their guidance, Wolseley expanded rapidly after the war, manufacturing 12,000 cars in 1921, and remained the biggest motor manufacturer in Britain. Over-expansion led to receivership in 1927 when it was bought from Vickers Limited by William Morris as a personal investment. He moved it into his Morris Motors empire just before
5022-555: The merger of BMC and Leyland to form British Leyland in 1969 the Riley marque, long overlapping with Wolseley, was retired. Wolseley continued in diminished form with the Wolseley Six of 1972, a variant of the Austin 2200, a six-cylinder version of the Austin 1800. It was finally killed off just three years later in favour of the Wolseley variant of the wedge-shaped 18–22 series saloon, which
5115-493: The name as an effort to preserve the memory of the company. The company was dissolved in 2014. In 2015, the "Austin Motor Company", alongside the 1930's "Flying A" logo was registered by British Engineer John Stubbs, owner of specialist suspension company Black Art Designs. By 2021, a prototype electric vehicle named the Austin Arrow had been revealed and was seeking investors, with a supposed release date around late 2022. The revived Austin Motor Company subsequently revealed
5208-469: The new Austin car, a conventional four-cylinder model with chain drive. It was available as a 15/20 hp complete at £500 (chassis, £425) and a 25/30 hp for £650 (chassis, £550). The sole concessionaire for sale of the cars was Mr Harvey Du Cros junior . Two things were noticeable about Austin's new design. He had parted from the Vickers brothers because he had refused to use the then more conventional vertical engine in Wolseley cars. His new car had
5301-445: The new Stellite model which was instead produced and marketed by another Vickers subsidiary, Electric and Ordnance Accessories Company Limited. Wolseley was not then as specialised in its operations as members of the motor industry were to become. For other members of the Vickers group they were general engineers and they also handled engineering enquiries directed on to them by other group members. Wolseley built double-decker buses for
5394-399: The nickname "Flying pig" as well as the doubtful build quality and indifferent reliability. It was still a strong seller in Britain, although not as successful as its predecessor. The wedge-shaped 18/22 series was launched as an Austin, a Morris and a more upmarket Wolseley in 1975. But within six months, it was rechristened the Princess and wore none of the previous marque badges, becoming
5487-410: The outbreak of war in 1914 Wolseley offered six types of commercial vehicle from 12 cwt delivery van to a five-ton lorry with a 40 hp engine. By 1913 Wolseley was Britain's largest car manufacturer selling 3,000 cars. The company was renamed Wolseley Motors Limited in 1914. It also began operations in Montreal and Toronto as Wolseley Motors Limited. This became British and American Motors after
5580-419: The owner of an Austin 7 in England, which sold for approximately $ 455, would have to pay a yearly engine tax of $ 39. In comparison, the owner in England of a Ford Model-A would have to pay $ 120 per year in an engine tax. And this system of engine displacement tax was common in other European nations as well in the 1930s. At one point, the "Baby Austin" was built under licence by the fledgling BMW of Germany (as
5673-653: The petrol-electric propulsion of the 22 ton vehicle. While at first Wolseley supplied engines for launches, made for them by Teddington Launch Works, they moved on to small river craft and light coasting boats. The demand for engines for larger vessels grew. It was not uncommon for orders to be booked for 70-foot (21 m) yachts, racing launches and ferry boats to carry fifty or more passengers. These were manufactured by S E Saunders Limited at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Special engines were made for lifeboats. In 1906 horizontal engines of sixteen cylinders were designed and constructed for British submarines. They were designed to run at
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#17328516558735766-454: The press and elsewhere. Their place in the Rover range was gradually filled by a new generation of Rover models. The rights to the Austin name passed to British Aerospace and then to BMW when each bought the Rover Group. The rights were subsequently sold to MG Rover , created when BMW sold the business. Following MG Rover's collapse and sale, Nanjing Automobile Group owned the Austin name and Austin's historic assembly plant in Longbridge. At
5859-447: The purchase of Jaguar and in December 1966 changed its name from BMC to BMH, British Motor Holdings Limited . In early 1968 under government pressure BMH merged with Leyland Motors Limited and Austin became a part of the large British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) combine. One of Austin's new models of this era was the 1973 Allegro , successor to the 1100/1300 ranges. It was criticised for its bulbous styling which earned it
5952-411: The recovery was the appointment in 1922 of a new finance director, Ernest Payton with the backing of the Midland Bank, and a new works director in charge of car production, Carl Engelbach, at the insistence of the creditors' committee. This triumvirate of Austin, Payton and Engelbach steered the company's fortunes through the interwar years. In a quest to expand market share, smaller cars were introduced,
6045-427: The rest of British Leyland (now known as BL) was looking bleak. The Austin Metro , launched in October 1980, was heralded as the saviour of Austin Motor Company and the whole BL combine. Twenty-one years after the launch of the Mini, it gave BL a much-needed modern supermini to compete with the recently launched likes of the Ford Fiesta , Vauxhall Nova , VW Polo and Renault 5 . It was an instant hit with buyers and
6138-411: The right policy. Morris changed this policy before the Wolseley brand might have lost all its luxury reputation. After lengthy deliberation and re-tooling of the works he kept the 2-litre six-cylinder 16–45 Silent Six and introduced a four-cylinder version calling it 12–32. Then an eight-cylinder car was brought to market named 21–60. In September 1928 a six-cylinder 21–60 was announced primarily aimed at
6231-424: The single overhead-camshaft type, the camshaft driven by a vertical shaft from the crankshaft. The eight-cylinder 21–60 held the vertical shaft in the centre of the engine, and both crankshaft and camshaft were divided at their midpoints. Their smallest engine of 847cc was designed and made for Morris's new Minor at Ward End with the camshaft drive's shaft the spindle of the dynamo driven by spiral bevel gears. But it
6324-422: The speed of production and provision of special steels Engines were horizontal which kept the centre of gravity low. Cylinders were cast individually and arranged either singly, in a pair or in two pairs which were horizontally opposed. The crankshaft lay across the car allowing a simple belt or chain-drive to the rear axle: in 1904 Queen Alexandra bought a 5.2-litre 24 hp landaulette with coil ignition,
6417-466: The summer of 1910 Wolseley were able to supply the following specially designed water-cooled aero-engines: Caterpillar tracked tractors were designed and supplied to Robert Falcon Scott for his ill-fated second expedition to the Antarctic. Orders were also received for use by the Deutsche Antarktische Expedition. In 1914 Wolseley produced a two-wheeled gyroscopically balanced car for the Russian lawyer and inventor Count Pyotr Shilovsky . This resembled
6510-470: The war Herbert Austin decided on a one-model policy based on the 3620 cc 20 hp engine. Versions included cars, commercials and even a tractor, but sales volumes were never enough to fill the vast factory built during wartime. The company went into receivership in 1921 but rose again after financial restructuring. Though Herbert Austin remained chairman he was no longer managing director and from that time decisions were made by committee. Critical to
6603-462: The whole business failed to cover overheads. A board member, Walter Chetwynd, was set to find a solution. It was decided the business operated from too many different locations. First the board closed the Crayford Kent works, moving the whole operation back to Birmingham and dropping production of commercial vehicles and taxicabs – a large number of which, 500+, were made during Siddeley's time including an early 10 hp taxicab made in 1908 sold to
6696-429: The year before his contract ended. and Siddeley was appointed manager of Wolseley in his place and, without authority, added Siddeley to the badge on the Wolseley cars. Siddeley, on his appointment to Austin's former position, promptly replaced Austin's horizontal engines with the now conventional upright engines. With him he brought his associate Lionel de Rothschild as a member of the Wolseley board. Together they gave
6789-579: Was privatised by selling it to British Aerospace (BAe) in 1988. Plans to replace the Metro with a radical new model, based on the ECV3 research vehicle and aiming for 100 mpg, led to the Austin AR6 of 1984–86, with several prototypes tested and production expected to start before the end of the decade. The desire to lose the Austin name and take Rover "upmarket" led to this project's demise in early 1987. In 1988,
6882-509: Was a rear-wheel drive large car, but it shared the central section of the 1800. It was a sales disaster, with fewer than 10,000 examples being made. BMC was the first British manufacturer to move into front-wheel drive so comprehensively. Ford did not launch its first front-drive model until 1976 (in Britain), Ford-Germany in 1962 with the Taunus 12M(P4), while Vauxhall's first front-drive model
6975-548: Was appointed managing director in August 1909. Wolsit Officine Legnanesi Autmobili was incorporated in 1907 by Macchi Brothers and the Bank of Legnano to build Wolseley cars under licence in Legnano , about 18 kilometres north-west of central Milan. A similar enterprise, Fial , had started there a year earlier but failed in 1908. Wolsit automobile production ended in 1909, the business continued but made luxury bicycles. Emilio Bozzi made
7068-741: Was decided to continue the manufacture of other parts. Then a short, sharp general trade slump peaked in July 1920 and almost every order Wolseley had on its books was cancelled. In 1920 Wolseley had reported a loss of £83,000. The following years showed even greater losses. Next, in October 1922, W R Morris startled the whole motor industry by a substantial reduction in the price of his cars. In 1924, Wolseley's annual loss would reach £364,000. Ernest Hopwood had been appointed Managing Director in August 1909 following Siddeley's departure. He had resigned late in 1919 due to ill-health. A J McCormack who had been joint MD with Hopwood since 1911 resigned in November 1923 and
7161-405: Was first chairman but soon retired. Lord, who had stormed out of Morris declaring he would "take Cowley apart brick by brick", ensured Austin was the dominant partner and its (more recently designed OHV) engines were adopted for most of the cars. Various models followed the Morris policy and became badge-engineered versions of each other. In 1952 Austin made a deal with Donald Healey leading to
7254-459: Was followed by similar vehicles from five marques within the year. The Wolseley Hornet was based on the Austin and Morris Mini with a booted body style which was shared with Riley as the Elf . The 1500 was replaced with the Wolseley 1100 ( BMC ADO16 ) in 1965, which became the Wolseley 1300 two years later. Finally, a version of the Austin 1800 was launched in 1967 as the Wolseley 18/85 . After
7347-605: Was good. They would borrow money, purchase the whole Ward End site and further expand Wolseley's works. Vickers also decided to consolidate their motor car interests in one company. Wolseley accordingly purchased from within the Vickers group: Electric and Ordnance Accessories Company Limited, the Motor-Car (Stellite Car) Ordnance Department and the Timken Bearing Department and announced Wolseley's future car programme would be: Examples of all these models were exhibited at
7440-446: Was incorporated in March 1901 with a capital of £40,000 by Vickers, Sons and Maxim to manufacture motor cars and machine tools. The managing director was Herbert Austin . The cars and the Wolseley name came from Austin's exploratory venture for The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company Limited, run since the early 1890s by the now 33-year-old Austin. Wolseley's board had decided not to enter
7533-486: Was increased to £650,000. At that time in number of cars produced it probably ranked fifth after Wolseley (still largest), Humber , Sunbeam and Rover . The Austin Motor Co. grew enormously during the First World War fulfilling government contracts for aircraft, shells, heavy guns and generating sets and 1,600 three-ton trucks most of which were sent to Russia. The workforce expanded from around 2,500 to 22,000. After
7626-450: Was launched in 1979 and Chrysler UK's first such car was launched in 1975. Front-wheel drive was popular elsewhere in Europe, however, with Renault , Citroen and Simca all using the system at the same time or before BMC. East Germany's Trabant used the system from 1958. In September 1965 BMC completed the purchase of its major supplier, Pressed Steel . Twelve months later it completed
7719-399: Was made in three different sizes and its camshaft drive continued to evolve from the dynamo's spindle to, in the end, an automatically tensioned single roller chain. Morris transferred his personal ownership of Wolseley to Morris Motors Limited as of 1 July 1935 and shortly all Wolseley models were badge-engineered Morris designs. Wolseley joined Morris, MG and later Riley/Autovia in
7812-446: Was merged with Morris Motors Limited in the new holding company British Motor Corporation (BMC) Limited , keeping its separate identity. The marque Austin was used until 1987 by BMC's successors British Leyland and Rover Group . The trademark is currently owned by the Chinese firm SAIC Motor , after being transferred from bankrupt subsidiary Nanjing Automotive which had acquired it with MG Rover Group in July 2005. While running
7905-417: Was not successful and although advertised for sale, none were sold. The third Wolseley car, the four-wheeled Wolseley "Voiturette" followed in 1899. A further four-wheeled car was made in 1900. The 1901 Wolseley Gasoline Carriage featured a steering wheel instead of a tiller. The first Wolseley cars sold to the public were based on the "Voiturette", but production did not get underway until 1901, by which time
7998-504: Was one of the most popular British cars of the 1980s. It was intended as a replacement for the Mini but the Mini went on to outlast it. It was facelifted in October 1984 and gained a 5-door version. In 1982, most of the car division of the by now somewhat shrunken British Leyland (BL) company was rebranded as the Austin Rover Group , with Austin acting as the "budget" and mainstream brand to Rover's more luxurious models. The MG badge
8091-485: Was purchased by William Morris, later Viscount Nuffield for £730,000 using his own money. Possibly Morris acted to stop General Motors who subsequently bought Vauxhall. Other bidders beside General Motors included the Austin Motor Company . Herbert Austin, Wolseley's founder, was said to have been very distressed that he was unable to buy it. Morris had bought an early taxicab; another Wolseley link with Morris
8184-558: Was relatively expensive to build and inclined to oil leaks, so its design was modified to a conventional side-valve layout by Morris Engines, which was put into production just for Morris cars in 1932. Meanwhile, Wolseley expanded their original design from four to six cylinders. That six-cylinder single OHC engine announced in September 1930 powered the Wolseley Hornet and several famous MG models. This tiny 6-cylinder SOHC engine eventually
8277-458: Was replaced by a committee of management. Then, at the end of October 1926, it was disclosed the company was bankrupt "to the tune of £2 million" and Sir Gilbert Garnsey and T W Horton had been appointed joint receivers and managers. It was described as "one of the most spectacular failures in the early history of the motor industry". When Wolseley was auctioned by the receivers in February 1927 it
8370-550: Was revived for sporty versions of the Austin models, of which the MG Metro 1300 was the first. The Morris and Triumph brands were axed in 1984. Austin revitalised its entry into the small family-car market in March 1983 with the launch of its all-new Maestro , a spacious five-door hatchback that replaced the elderly Allegro and Maxi and was popular in the early years of its production life, although sales had started to dip dramatically by
8463-465: Was that his Morris Garages were Wolseley agents in Oxford. Morris had unsuccessfully tried to produce a 6-cylinder car . He still wanted his range to include a light six-cylinder car. Wolseley's 2-litre six-cylinder 16–45, their latest development of their postwar Fifteen, "made a deep impression on him". Morris incorporated a new company, Wolseley Motors (1927) Limited, he was later permitted to remove
8556-558: Was the flagship of the company and incorporated the best styling and features. The Wolseley engine of the 6/80 was also superior to the Morris delivering a higher BHP. The car was well balanced and demonstrated excellent road holding for its time. The British police used these as their squad cars well into the late sixties. Following the merger of Austin and Morris that created the British Motor Corporation (BMC), Wolseleys shared with MG and Riley common bodies and chassis, namely
8649-431: Was the largest British motor manufacturer and Austin's reputation was made. The company had been formed in March 1901. By 1 May 1901 Austin had issued his first catalogue. There were to be two models, 5 hp and 10 hp. They were both available with either a Tonneau or a Phaeton body with either pneumatic or solid tyres. For an additional outlay of thirty shillings (£1.50) the 10 hp model would be fitted with
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