Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,703 pages of information and 247,104 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

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The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of [[Cars]] and [[Lorries and Trucks|Lorries]] from 1905 and rose to be a major motorcar brand.
[[Image:Im19090622Mo-Austin.jpg|thumb| June 1909. Austin Petrol Tank. ]]
[[Image:Im1919RASJ-Austin.jpg|thumb| 1919. [[Austin]] Automatic Electric Installations sold by [[E. O. Walker and Co]]. ]]


==Cars==
[[Image:Im1920RedBook13.jpg|thumb| 1920. ]]
* 1905 [[Herbert Austin]] (1866–1941), later Sir Herbert, the former manager of the [[Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company]] founded the '''Austin Motor Company''' at Longbridge. The first car was a conventional 5 litre four cylinder model with chain drive with about 200 being made in the first five years.  
[[image:Im19200110AC-Austin.jpg|thumb| January 1920.]]
[[image:Im19220714-p040(1).jpg |thumb| 1922. ]]
[[image:Im1927RAC-Aus.jpg|thumb| 1927.]]
[[image:Im19300523LC-Aust.jpg|thumb| May 1930.]]
[[Image:Im19330616MJ-AMC.jpg‎|thumb| June 1933.  ]]
[[Image:Im19341226MTrader-Austin1.jpg|thumb| December 1934. ]]
[[image:Im19371026M-Aust.jpg|thumb| October 1937.]]
[[image:Im19440107ISDN-Austin.jpg |thumb| January 1944. ]]
[[image:Im19440218ISDN-Austin.jpg |thumb| February 1944. ]]
[[image:Im19440428SDN-AustinM.jpg |thumb| April 1944. ]]
[[image:Im19440414SDN-Austin.jpg |thumb| April 1944. ]]
[[image:Im19440512SDN-Austin.jpg |thumb| May 1944. ]]
[[image:Im19440609SDN-Austin.jpg |thumb| June 1944. ]]
[[Image:Im19461005ILN-Au.jpg ‎|thumb|October 5 1946.]]
[[image:ImILN03291947 004.jpg |thumb| March 1947. ]]
[[Image:Im1950BMC-Austin.jpg|thumb| 1950. ]]
[[Image:Im1950BMC-Austin2.jpg|thumb| 1950. ]]
[[Image:Im19531024PP-Aus.jpg|thumb| October 1953.]]
‎‎[[Image:Im19540220PP-Aus.jpg‎|thumb| February 1954. ]]
[[image:Im19540410PP-Austin.jpg|thumb| April 1954.]]
[[image:Im19540612PP-Austin.jpg|thumb| June 1954.]]
[[image:Im19541023PP-Aus.jpg|thumb| October 1954.]]
[[image:Im19550219PP-Austin.jpg|thumb| February 1955.]]
[[image:Im195610MotSC-AustinMotor.jpg |thumb| Oct 1956. ]]
[[image:Im196010MotSC-Austin.jpg |thumb| Oct 1960. ]]
[[image:Im196210MotSC-Austin.jpg |thumb| Oct  1962. ]]
[[image:Im196610MotSC-Austin.jpg |thumb| Oct 1966. ]]
[[image:im20180206RB-AustinMotor.jpg |thumb| Austin 'tool or pay check' issued to shop floor workers.]]


* WW1 Austin grew enormously with government contracts for everything from artillery to aircraft and the workforce expanded from around 2,500 to 22,000.
The '''Austin Motor Company''' of Longbridge Works, Birmingham was a British manufacturer of cars and lorries from 1905.


* After the war [[Herbert Austin]] decided on a one model policy based around the 3620 cc 20 hp engine and versions included cars, commercials and even a tractor but sales volumes were never enough to fill the vast factory built during war time
== Sub-sections ==


* 1921 The company went into receivership in 1921 but rose again after financial restructuring
'''See:
* [[Austin: Aircraft|Aircraft]]
* [[Austin: Buses|Buses]]
* [[Austin: Cars|Cars]]
* [[Austin: Commercial Vehicles|Commercial Vehicles]]
* [[Austin: Gas Turbine|Gas Turbine]]
* [[Austin: Military|Military]]
* [[Austin: Motor Boat Engines|Motor Boat Engines]]
* [[Austin: Taxis|Taxis]]
* [[Austin: Tractors|Tractors]]


* 1922 To expand the market smaller cars were introduced with the 1661 cc '''Twelve''' and later the same year the '''Austin 7''', an inexpensive, small and simple car and one of the earliest to be directed at a mass market. At one point it was built under licence by the fledgling BMW of Germany (as the Dixi); Japanese Datsun; as Bantam in the United States; and as the Rosengart in France.
==Foundation of the Company==


* A largely independent U.S. subsidiary operated under the name American Austin Car Company from 1929 to 1934; it was revived under the name "American Bantam" from 1937 to 1941.
1905 [[Herbert Austin]] (1866–1941) left the [[Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co]] and founded the company and was joined by [[A. J. Hancock]] from the same company and by [[Alfred Vincent Davidge]] and [[Bobby Howitt]]. All three men remained with the company until Austin died in 1941. Herbert Austin and [[Frank Kayser]] held the initial shares.  


* With the help of the '''Seven''', Austin weathered the worst of the depression and remained profitable through the 1930s producing a wider range of cars which were steadily updated with the introduction of all-steel bodies, Girling brakes, and synchromesh gearboxes but all the engines remained as side valve units.  
1906 January. Purchased old [[White and Pike]] factory at Longbridge on a 2.5 acre site with an additional 8 acres.  


* 1938 Leonard Lord joined the company board and became chairman in 1941 on the death of Herbert (now Lord) Austin.
1906 June [[William Harvey Du Cros]] joined to become governing director.


* WW2 During the Second World War Austin continued building cars but also made trucks and aircraft. The post war car range was announced in 1944 and production of it started in 1945.
1906 Produced the first car under the Austin name. In their first full year of production they made 120 vehicles and employed 270 persons


* The immediate post war range was mainly similar to that of the late 1930s but did include the 16 hp significant for having the companies first overhead valve engine.
1906 March. Description of the works at [[Austin: 1906 Report]]


* 1952 Austin merged with the Nuffield Organisation (parent company of Morris) to form the British Motor Corporation (later British Leyland) with Leonard Lord in charge. Austin were the dominant partner and their engines were adopted for most of the cars; various models amongst the marques would soon be badge-engineered versions of each other.
1906 May. Details of a visit to the works and the announccement of the 15-20 and 25-30 models <ref>The Times, Tuesday, May 01, 1906</ref>


* 1952 Merged with [[Morris]] to form [[British Motor Corporation]]
1907 Private limited company formed. In the eleven months until 30th September 1908 the turnover was £119,744 and 254 cars were sold <ref>The Austin 1905-1952 by R. J. Wyatt. Published 1981. ISBN: 0 7153 7948 8</ref>


* 1952 Austin entered into a legal agreement with Nissan Motor Company of Japan, for that company to assemble 2000 imported Austins from partially assembled sets and sell them in Japan under 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 built by Nissan and featuring a slightly larger body with 1489cc engine – was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins from 1953-59.  
1908 Austin was producing 17 different models.


* 1959 With the threat to fuel supplies resulting from the 1956 Suez Crisis Lord asked Alec Issigonis to design a new small car and the result was the revolutionary Mini launched in 1959. The principle of a transverse engine with gearbox in the sump and driving the front wheels was carried on to larger cars.
1909 Vehicles made were the 18-24, 40, 60 and the 15 hp models.


* 1963 launched the '''1100'''
1911 The [[Advocate]] later the [[Austin Magazine]] first appeared


* 1964 Launched the '''1800'''
1912 FY ending 30th September. Turnover was £354,209 and 886 cars made. 1,800 persons employed


* 1969 Launched the '''Maxi'''
1912 Became involved with speed boats. [[Thomas Sopwith (1888-1989)|Thomas Sopwith]] won the Harmsworth Trophy with 'Maple Leaf IV'


* 1973 Launched the '''Allegro
1913 882 cars made of which 295 were the Model 10


* 1980 launched the '''Metro'''
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of '''Petrol Motor Commercial Vehicles''' see the [[1913-1917 Motor, Marine and Aircraft Red Book: Petrol Motors| 1917 Red Book]]


* 1982, the car division of the by now somewhat shrunken [[British Leyland]] company was rebranded as '''Austin Rover Group''', with Austin acting as the "budget" and mainstream brand to [[Rover]]'s more luxurious models. Sports models were often badge-engineered Austins with an MG badge. However, the continuing bad publicity associated with build and rust problems on the Metro, Maestro and Montego models meant that the badge was dropped, with the company becoming the [[Rover Group]].  
1914 Became a public company called '''The Austin Motor Company (1914) Ltd'''. Directors and subscribers were Herbert Austin, Harvey Du Cros, Kayser, [[Albert Ball, Senior| Albert Ball]] and [[H. Marks]] got 250 preference and one ordinary share each; [[F. S. Goodwin]] and [[P. H. Carter]] had one ordinary share each. Turnover was £400k and they had 2,000 employees producing around 1,000 cars a year. <ref> The Times, Monday, Feb 09, 1914</ref>


* 1989 The last Austin-badged car was built
1914 Builders of motor vehicles. Employees 2,150. <ref>[[1914 Whitakers Red Book]]</ref> Producing 30 cars per week. <ref>[[British Motor Cars 1950/51]]</ref>


* The rights to the Austin badge passed to [[British Aerospace]] and later to BMW when each bought the [[Rover Group]]. The rights were subsequently sold to [[MG Rover]], created once BMW had tired of the business. Following MG Rover's collapse and sale the Austin name is now owned by Nanjing Automobile Group — along with Austin's historic assembly plant in Longbridge. At the Nanjing International Exhibition in May 2006, Nanjing announced that the Austin name might be used on some of the revived MG Rover models, at least on the Chinese market. However, Nanjing are for the moment concentrating on reviving the MG brand.
1914 The company turned its resources to the war effort. Received a contract from the Russian government valued at £500,000 for 48 armoured cars, 18 equippen workshop vans, 16 20hp tank wagons, 8 binned spare parts lorries, 140 ambulances and 100 2-3 ton lorries. It was completed and shipped in three months.


==Tractors==
1914 Started building new works (the North and West with the existing being referred to as the South) for the building of munitions.
1920 produced a tractor for direct ploughing


==Commercial==
1915 October. Bought [[Walker Horrocks and Co]] for their three patents dated 1909 for lighting sets for houses.
The '''Austin Motor Co''' produced [[Lorries and Trucks|Lorries]] from 1910 to 1968 at Birmingham


* 1913 Produce first 2 ton lorry developing 29hp
1915 [[John Dudley North]] joined as superintendent of the aviation department; constructing [[Royal Aircraft Factory: R.E.7|RE 7]] and [[Royal Aircraft Factory: R.E.8|RE 8]] aircraft<ref>  The Times, Jan 12, 1968</ref>
* 1938 The '''Austin Motor Co''' commenced manufacturer of range from 30cwt to 5ton
* WW2 The K2 / K3 / K5 range of  vehicles produced in large volumes for the Army
* 1952 Merged with [[Morris]] to form [[British Motor Corporation]]


==Aircraft==
1915 The new No. 9 building erected
* 1916 Built a prototype of the Austin-ball AFB1 single-seat fighter to a specification by Albert ball a fighter ace.


* Followed up with the AFT3 Osprey Triplane and Greyhound biplane fighters
1916 Name changed.


* 1919 The Whippet was a single-seat biplane designed by John W. Kenworthy. Only five were built ay the Northfield Works.
1916 April New press shop started work


* 1920 Built the Kestral to Air Minestry specification
1916 July. Work on the North works situated on the Birmingham side of tyhe railway line commences with the machine shop completed by December and the forge in the following March


None of the planes were successful so avaition was left to concentrate on the automotive business
1916 December. Work on the West works situated on the opposite of the Bristol Road commences


1917 Block No 6 completed


==Lorries==
1918 Early in the year 10,000 men went on strike for a month over the removal of [[Arthur Peacock]]
* 2,000 trucks went to the Army in the war and design changes were made in 1917.


==Buses==
1918 [[Harvey Du Cros]] and [[R. G. Ash]] elected to board of directors
*[[Austin]] had it's own bus fleet for transporting staff for some years.
* A smaller chassis was offered for a time in the 1920's a conventional design with the engine mounted over and forward of the front axle.
* Bodied as a 17 seater bus with a four speed gearbox and cost £775. Electric light was extra.
*[[Austin]] did not appear in the PSV market until 1939 when the ''K series'' goods and passenger models were released.
*Few ''K-types'' were built and production was soon switched to military requirements.


==Sources of Information==
1914-18 At the end of the war the company had produced around eight million shells (from 210mm to 18-pounders), 2,000 aeroplanes, 2,500 aeroplane engines, 2,000 2-3 ton lorries, 480 armoured cars, 148 ambulances, 750 cars and light vans, and numerous other items. <ref>Ministry of Munitions War Production Figures issued Decemebr 1918</ref>
* British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
 
* ritish Aircraft Manufacturers since 1908 by Gunter Endres. Pub 1995
1919 Decide on a one model policy and produced the Austin Twenty. This enabled the same engine to be used for tractors and lorries
 
1920 January. The company's capital raised to £5 million
 
1920 April. Issued catalogue on the 'Glandless' petrol pump. <ref>[[The Engineer]] of 30th April 1920 p438</ref>
 
1921 April. [[Arthur Whinney]] was appointed receiver and manager of the business
 
== Company growth up to 1921==
<table>
 
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Year&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Turnover&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cars Made&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Employees&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Notes&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1906</td>
<td>£14,771</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td align=left>11 months ending 31st October 1906</td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1907</td>
<td>£84,930</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td align=left>12 months ending 31st October 1907</td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1908</td>
<td>£119,744</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td align=left>11 months ending 30th September 1908 </td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1909</td>
<td>£169,821</td>
<td>402</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1910</td>
<td>£209,048</td>
<td>576</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1911</td>
<td>£276,196</td>
<td>664</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1912</td>
<td>£354,209</td>
<td>886</td>
<td>1,800</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1913</td>
<td>£425,641</td>
<td>882</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1914</td>
<td></td>
<td>1,000</td>
<td>2,150</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1915</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1916</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1917</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>20,000</td>
<td align=left>Most employees on munitions work </td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1918</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1919</td>
<td></td>
<td>1,100</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1920</td>
<td><£4m</td>
<td>4,319</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td>1921</td>
<td></td>
<td>2,246</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
<tr align=right>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
 
</table>
 
Figures are for FY ending 30th September
 
==Company reformed==
 
1922 March. The directors of the re-formed company were Herbert Austin (Chairman), Harvey Du Cros (Deputy Chairman), [[R. G. Ash]], [[Arthur Hardinge| Sir Arthur Hardinge]], [[A. T. Davies]], [[T. D. Neal]], [[C. R. F. Englebach]] and [[Ernest Leopold Payton|E. L. Payton]].
 
1922 The Baby Austin was launched in 1922 and offered for sale at £225 putting it within the budget of customers who had never owned a car. Output of the Baby Austin reached 25,000 annually by 1925; the price was reduced each year. The company was the largest car factory in the UK with more than 58 acres of floor space.
 
1924 May. Entered talks about merging Austin with [[Morris]] and [[Wolseley]] but the talks failed mainly due to the reluctance of Morris who were the most profitable of the companies by some considerably amount
 
1925 Formed [[Austin Electric Co]] to continue the business they had been developing based on the purchase of Walker Horrocks and Co in 1915.
 
1925 July. [[General Motors]] came close to buying Austin but then bought [[Vauxhall]]
 
1926 [[Herbert Parkes]] joins the board and left in 1932.
 
1927 See [[The Basic Industries of Great Britain by Aberconway: Chapter XXI|Aberconway]] for information on the company and its history.
 
1928 The sales manager [[Sammy Holbrook]] left the company and Herbert Austin took over leadership of the sales function. [[Rootes Motors| Rootes]] lost the London and Home Counties dealership to [[Car Mart]] and the Austin showrooms in Oxford Street. [[George Heath (2)|George Heath]] lost the Birmingham area, which was then handled direct from Longbridge
 
1932 [[Herbert Pepper]] becomes a director
 
1934 See [[Austin: 1934 Review]]
 
1936 25,000 persons employed at Longbridge
 
1938 [[Leonard Lord]] joined the company board from [[Morris]]
 
1938 October. Started production of medium-sized commercial vehicles
 
1939 Longbridge site was now 100 acres.
 
1941 [[Ernest Payton]] became Chairman
 
WWII Produced over 2,500 fighters and bombers at its Cofton Hackett works, including [[Fairey Aviation Co: Battle|Fairey Battles]], Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, [[Short Brothers: Stirling|Short Stirlings]] and [[Avro: Lancaster|Avro Lancasters]].
 
1946 Formed joint venture in battery-powered vehicles with [[Crompton Parkinson]] to form [[Austin Crompton Parkinson Electric Vehicles]]
 
1946 On the death of Payton, Lord became Chairman of the company
 
1948 Opened a non-profit making company at Tiryberth, South Wales for ex-miners suffering from silicosis
 
1948 Introduced the FX3 taxicab in conjunction with [[Mann and Overtons]] and a pressed steel body from [[Carbodies]]
 
1950 Introduced the Loadstar 2 and 5 ton trucks
 
1950 Record year with 142,723 cars and 23,000 commercial vehicles produced.
 
1950 September. [[George Harriman]] appointed Deputy Managing Director
 
==British Motor Corporation==
 
1952 February. Merged with the [[Nuffield Organisation]] to form [[British Motor Corporation]].
 
1961 Employed 21,000 persons. Capital was £5 million.
 
1966 Part of [[British Motor Holdings]]
 
1968 Part of [[British Leyland Motor Corporation]]
 
1975 Part of [[British Leyland]]
 
1977 Part of [[BL]]
 
1986 Part of the [[Rover Group]]
 
== See Also ==
<what-links-here/>
 
== Sources of Information ==
<references/>
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Motor_Company] Wikipedia
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Motor_Company] Wikipedia
* The Engineer of 10th December 1920 p582
* [[The Engineer]] of 10th December 1920 p582
* Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
* [[1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises: Motor, Motor-Cycle and Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers]]
* Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5
 
{{DEFAULTSORT: }}
[[Category: Town - Birmingham]]
[[Category:Cars]]
[[Category:Commercial Vehicles]]
[[Category:Aircraft Builders]]
[[Category: Military Vehicles]]

Latest revision as of 21:24, 21 May 2022

June 1909. Austin Petrol Tank.
1919. Austin Automatic Electric Installations sold by E. O. Walker and Co.
1920.
January 1920.
1922.
1927.
May 1930.
June 1933.
December 1934.
October 1937.
January 1944.
February 1944.
April 1944.
April 1944.
May 1944.
June 1944.
October 5 1946.
March 1947.
1950.
1950.
October 1953.

‎‎

February 1954.
April 1954.
June 1954.
October 1954.
February 1955.
Oct 1956.
Oct 1960.
Oct 1962.
Oct 1966.
Austin 'tool or pay check' issued to shop floor workers.

The Austin Motor Company of Longbridge Works, Birmingham was a British manufacturer of cars and lorries from 1905.

Sub-sections

See:

Foundation of the Company

1905 Herbert Austin (1866–1941) left the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co and founded the company and was joined by A. J. Hancock from the same company and by Alfred Vincent Davidge and Bobby Howitt. All three men remained with the company until Austin died in 1941. Herbert Austin and Frank Kayser held the initial shares.

1906 January. Purchased old White and Pike factory at Longbridge on a 2.5 acre site with an additional 8 acres.

1906 June William Harvey Du Cros joined to become governing director.

1906 Produced the first car under the Austin name. In their first full year of production they made 120 vehicles and employed 270 persons

1906 March. Description of the works at Austin: 1906 Report

1906 May. Details of a visit to the works and the announccement of the 15-20 and 25-30 models [1]

1907 Private limited company formed. In the eleven months until 30th September 1908 the turnover was £119,744 and 254 cars were sold [2]

1908 Austin was producing 17 different models.

1909 Vehicles made were the 18-24, 40, 60 and the 15 hp models.

1911 The Advocate later the Austin Magazine first appeared

1912 FY ending 30th September. Turnover was £354,209 and 886 cars made. 1,800 persons employed

1912 Became involved with speed boats. Thomas Sopwith won the Harmsworth Trophy with 'Maple Leaf IV'

1913 882 cars made of which 295 were the Model 10

1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Petrol Motor Commercial Vehicles see the 1917 Red Book

1914 Became a public company called The Austin Motor Company (1914) Ltd. Directors and subscribers were Herbert Austin, Harvey Du Cros, Kayser, Albert Ball and H. Marks got 250 preference and one ordinary share each; F. S. Goodwin and P. H. Carter had one ordinary share each. Turnover was £400k and they had 2,000 employees producing around 1,000 cars a year. [3]

1914 Builders of motor vehicles. Employees 2,150. [4] Producing 30 cars per week. [5]

1914 The company turned its resources to the war effort. Received a contract from the Russian government valued at £500,000 for 48 armoured cars, 18 equippen workshop vans, 16 20hp tank wagons, 8 binned spare parts lorries, 140 ambulances and 100 2-3 ton lorries. It was completed and shipped in three months.

1914 Started building new works (the North and West with the existing being referred to as the South) for the building of munitions.

1915 October. Bought Walker Horrocks and Co for their three patents dated 1909 for lighting sets for houses.

1915 John Dudley North joined as superintendent of the aviation department; constructing RE 7 and RE 8 aircraft[6]

1915 The new No. 9 building erected

1916 Name changed.

1916 April New press shop started work

1916 July. Work on the North works situated on the Birmingham side of tyhe railway line commences with the machine shop completed by December and the forge in the following March

1916 December. Work on the West works situated on the opposite of the Bristol Road commences

1917 Block No 6 completed

1918 Early in the year 10,000 men went on strike for a month over the removal of Arthur Peacock

1918 Harvey Du Cros and R. G. Ash elected to board of directors

1914-18 At the end of the war the company had produced around eight million shells (from 210mm to 18-pounders), 2,000 aeroplanes, 2,500 aeroplane engines, 2,000 2-3 ton lorries, 480 armoured cars, 148 ambulances, 750 cars and light vans, and numerous other items. [7]

1919 Decide on a one model policy and produced the Austin Twenty. This enabled the same engine to be used for tractors and lorries

1920 January. The company's capital raised to £5 million

1920 April. Issued catalogue on the 'Glandless' petrol pump. [8]

1921 April. Arthur Whinney was appointed receiver and manager of the business

Company growth up to 1921

   Year       Turnover       Cars Made       Employees       Notes   
1906 £14,771 11 months ending 31st October 1906
1907 £84,930 12 months ending 31st October 1907
1908 £119,744 11 months ending 30th September 1908
1909 £169,821 402
1910 £209,048 576
1911 £276,196 664
1912 £354,209 886 1,800
1913 £425,641 882
1914 1,000 2,150
1915
1916
1917 20,000 Most employees on munitions work
1918
1919 1,100
1920 <£4m 4,319
1921 2,246

Figures are for FY ending 30th September

Company reformed

1922 March. The directors of the re-formed company were Herbert Austin (Chairman), Harvey Du Cros (Deputy Chairman), R. G. Ash, Sir Arthur Hardinge, A. T. Davies, T. D. Neal, C. R. F. Englebach and E. L. Payton.

1922 The Baby Austin was launched in 1922 and offered for sale at £225 putting it within the budget of customers who had never owned a car. Output of the Baby Austin reached 25,000 annually by 1925; the price was reduced each year. The company was the largest car factory in the UK with more than 58 acres of floor space.

1924 May. Entered talks about merging Austin with Morris and Wolseley but the talks failed mainly due to the reluctance of Morris who were the most profitable of the companies by some considerably amount

1925 Formed Austin Electric Co to continue the business they had been developing based on the purchase of Walker Horrocks and Co in 1915.

1925 July. General Motors came close to buying Austin but then bought Vauxhall

1926 Herbert Parkes joins the board and left in 1932.

1927 See Aberconway for information on the company and its history.

1928 The sales manager Sammy Holbrook left the company and Herbert Austin took over leadership of the sales function. Rootes lost the London and Home Counties dealership to Car Mart and the Austin showrooms in Oxford Street. George Heath lost the Birmingham area, which was then handled direct from Longbridge

1932 Herbert Pepper becomes a director

1934 See Austin: 1934 Review

1936 25,000 persons employed at Longbridge

1938 Leonard Lord joined the company board from Morris

1938 October. Started production of medium-sized commercial vehicles

1939 Longbridge site was now 100 acres.

1941 Ernest Payton became Chairman

WWII Produced over 2,500 fighters and bombers at its Cofton Hackett works, including Fairey Battles, Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Short Stirlings and Avro Lancasters.

1946 Formed joint venture in battery-powered vehicles with Crompton Parkinson to form Austin Crompton Parkinson Electric Vehicles

1946 On the death of Payton, Lord became Chairman of the company

1948 Opened a non-profit making company at Tiryberth, South Wales for ex-miners suffering from silicosis

1948 Introduced the FX3 taxicab in conjunction with Mann and Overtons and a pressed steel body from Carbodies

1950 Introduced the Loadstar 2 and 5 ton trucks

1950 Record year with 142,723 cars and 23,000 commercial vehicles produced.

1950 September. George Harriman appointed Deputy Managing Director

British Motor Corporation

1952 February. Merged with the Nuffield Organisation to form British Motor Corporation.

1961 Employed 21,000 persons. Capital was £5 million.

1966 Part of British Motor Holdings

1968 Part of British Leyland Motor Corporation

1975 Part of British Leyland

1977 Part of BL

1986 Part of the Rover Group

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. ↑ The Times, Tuesday, May 01, 1906
  2. ↑ The Austin 1905-1952 by R. J. Wyatt. Published 1981. ISBN: 0 7153 7948 8
  3. ↑ The Times, Monday, Feb 09, 1914
  4. ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
  5. ↑ British Motor Cars 1950/51
  6. ↑ The Times, Jan 12, 1968
  7. ↑ Ministry of Munitions War Production Figures issued Decemebr 1918
  8. ↑ The Engineer of 30th April 1920 p438
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