Guy Motors

Guy Motors Ltd produced Lorries and Buses from 1918 to 1979 at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton.

Background

• 1914 Sydney Slater Guy left the Sunbeam Motor Co where he was works manager to start his own company to produce commercial vehicles almost next door to Sunbeam
• 1961 Guy was acquired by Jaguar
• 1968 Ownership passed to Leyland
• 1979 Production ceases

Lorries

• WW1 War time manufacture
• 1920 Manufacture commenced with 25cwt J-type lorries and later 7-12ton payload
• 1922 Produced an articulated lorry
• 1933 Introduced the Wolf 2ton model
• 1934 Introduced the Vixen 3/4ton model
• 1934 The famous radiatior cap with the Red Indian head and the slogan 'Feathers in our Cap' first appeared
• WW2 Government ordered large numbers of the 4x4 tractors for war use.
• 1947 Civilian production restarted
• 1952 New all-steel cab introduced
• 1953 Big Otter produced for 8ton loads
• 1956 The Warrior range introduced for 6-15tons and rigid or articulated.

Buses

• 1924 They produced a drop-frame chassis with a normal-control layout.
• 1926 They offered a six-wheeler seating 60 passengers, pneumatic tyres and normal control.
• 1927 A forward-control six-wheeler double-decker followed, the first model went to the London Public Omnibus Co.
• 1927 Guy produced their own six-cylinder engine with inclined sides valves.
• 1928 Improved versions of these made, and single and double-deck four wheel models were introduced. These were later named Conquest for the single deck and Invincible for the double
• Invincible and Conquest were the first British chassis specifically designed for Gardner oil engines.
• Sales of these models were low and by the middle of the 1930's had dissapeared completely.
• WW2 Guy went back into making the big buses.
• The Government were urgently requiring simple and reliable buses to help carry workers to war factories.
• Guy redesigned the 1933 Arab the prototype was completed in 1942 and Swindon Corporation was the first to operate this model.
• 1944 2,000 Arab chassis had been completed they proved reliable and longlived.
• 1946 Guy's first postwar model was the Arab III, this model was available as a single and double-decker.
• 1950 the Arab IV was produced, they had concealed radiators.
• 1959 the 'Wulfrunian was launched it had a Gardner 6LX engine.
• 1960 to 1965 West Riding bought 127 Wulfrunian models.
• 1961 the company had gone bankrupt, bought by Jaguar who owned Daimler as well.
• 1969 Guy owned British Leyland and was still in the export market.
• 1982 production moved to Leyland.

Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris