Austin Motor Co Ltd

Notes:

Traced origins to Herbert Austin, 1866-1941, who had worked for the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Co Ltd in 1880s and 1890s, initially in Australia. He and F Y Wolseley moved back to the England in 1893, setting up manufacturing for it in Birmingham and diversifying it into new areas. In 1896-7 commenced motor car production. In 1901 Vickers bought the motor car division and reorganised it as Wolseley Tool & Motor Car Co Ltd at Alderley Park to produce Wolseley cars; soon it was largest British motor car business. Policy differences led to him leaving Wolseley in late 1905 to set up his own business at Longbridge, known as Austin Motor Co Ltd and supported financially by Harvey du Cros and Frank Kayser. Converted to public company in 1914 as Austin Motor Co (1914) Ltd. The business especially thrived 1914-18 and by 1919 was also making lorries and tractors. In 1921 business in receivership and was reconstructed with Austin continuing in a senior role and developing, with Stanley Edge, a small car, the Austin Seven, which became a best-seller in its range. 1936 employing 25,000. The business survived and prospered, producing massive quantities of materiel, including aircraft, 1939-45. The business successfully resumed post war production, then merged with Nuffield Organisation Ltd, owners of Morris Motors Ltd, to form British Motor Corp Ltd in 1952 [2024]