Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd
Other Business Names:
- Birmingham Small Arms & Metal Co Ltd
- BSA
- Daimler Motor Co Ltd
- Lanchester Motor Co Ltd
- BSA Cycles Ltd
- BSA Guns Ltd
- BSA Tools Ltd
- Triumph Engineering Co Ltd
- Docker, Sir Dudley
- Jaguar Cars Ltd
- Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd
- Manganese Bronze Holdings Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
- Redditch, Worcestershire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
Sectors:
-
Mechanical engineering
Armaments & ammunition production exc warships, aircraft, cannon, hand guns and cartridges, swords, etc
-
Transport equipment production
Bicycle & components production
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Hand gun & cartridge, etc, production
-
Basic metals production
Iron, steel & related alloys production
-
Mechanical engineering
Machine tool production
-
Transport equipment production
Motor vehicle production
-
Transport equipment production
Motorcycle & components production
Notes:
Traced origins to 1861 when established by a group of Birmingham gunmakers as Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd, often referred to as BSA. Soon built a large factory at Small Heath, Birmingham, where noted for use of machinery. British government / War Office was a major customer for rifles, etc. Renamed Birmingham Small Arms & Metal Co Ltd in 1873. Diversified into manufacture of bicycles and bicycle components from early1880s, motor cars from 1907 and motorcycles from 1909. 1910 acquired Daimler Motor Co Ltd and in 1931 Lanchester Motor Co Ltd. Reorganised in 1896 and renamed 1897 as Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd. Sir Dudley Docker joined as director in 1906 and important in subsequent strategy. Major weapons and ammunition manufacturers in both world wars. 1918 restructured into BSA Cycles Ltd, BSA Guns Ltd and BSA Tools Ltd when also had Sheffield steel making interests. Grew especially by acquisition post 1945, notably of bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers which included Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in 1951. Became largest motorcycle manufacturers in world. Sold Daimler 1960 to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Sold bicycle division to Raleigh in 1957. 1972 motorcycle interests merged with those of Manganese Bronze Holdings Ltd, owners of Norton Villiers [2023]
Publications:
- Alfred Herbert Ltd and the British Machine Tool Industry, 1887-1983 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, & Myrddin J Lewis
- 'American system of manufactures' in Birmingham. Production methods at the Birmingham Small Arms Co in the nineteenth century by Lumley, Roger
- Birmingham Small Arms Co. Extracts from records for the period 1861-1900 by Unknown
- BSA (Redditch) Ltd by Unknown
- BSA Centenary, 1861-1961 by Unknown
- BSA Front Wheel Drive Cars by Skillen, Graham
- BSA History from the Days of the Crimea by Unknown
- BSA Machines in Operation by Unknown
- BSA. The complete story by Wright, Owen
- Centenary Issue, June 7th, 1961 by Unknown
- Century of Gun Making. BSA from 1861 to 1961 by Unknown
- Control, conflict and concession. Corporate governance, accounting and accountability at Birmingham Small Arms, 1906-1933 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, et al
- Corporate governance in a major British holding company. BSA in the interwar years by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, et al
- Directory of BSA Group by Unknown
- Dudley Docker. The life and times of a trade warrior by Davenport-Hines, R P T
- Examination of the Post Second World War Relative Decline of UK Manufacturing Industry, 1945-1975, Viewed Through the Lens of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd by Heaton, Joe
- Forty Years of Progress. The story of Daimler, Lanchester and BSA motor cars by Prioleau, John
- Giants of Small Heath. The history of BSA by Ryerson, Barry
- History of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd, 1861-1900 by Unknown
- History of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, 1861-1973 by Unknown
- History of the British Motorcycle Industry, 1945-1975 by Smith, Barbara M D
- 'Losing trust. The BSA board and corporate governance, 1900-1939' in R Lloyd-Jones et al, Personal Capitalism and Corporate Governance. British manufacturing in the first half of the twentieth century by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, Josephine Maltby, Myrddin J Lewis & Mark D Matthews
- Munitions of War. A record of the BSA and Daimler companies during the World War, 1914-1918 by Frost, George H
- New BSA Factory at Redditch by Unknown
- Personal Capitalism and Corporate Governance. British manufacturing in the first half of the twentieth century by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, Josephine Maltby, Myrddin J Lewis & Mark D Matthews
- Raleigh and the British Bicycle Industry. An economic and business history, 1870-1960 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, & Myrddin J Lewis
- Story of BSA Motorcycles by Holliday, Bob
- The Other Battle; being a history of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd by Ward, Donovan M
- Trade Unionism and Collective Bargaining at Two British Motorcycle Factories. A study of BSA/Small Heath and Triumph/Meriden, 1951-1973 by Koerner, Steve
- Visit of His Majesty King George V to the BSA Works, Small Heath, July 23rd 1915 by Unknown
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Birmingham Small Arms & Metal Co Ltd
- BSA
- Daimler Motor Co Ltd
- Lanchester Motor Co Ltd
- BSA Cycles Ltd
- BSA Guns Ltd
- BSA Tools Ltd
- Triumph Engineering Co Ltd
- Docker, Sir Dudley
- Jaguar Cars Ltd
- Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd
- Manganese Bronze Holdings Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
- Redditch, Worcestershire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
Sectors:
- Mechanical engineering Armaments & ammunition production exc warships, aircraft, cannon, hand guns and cartridges, swords, etc
- Transport equipment production Bicycle & components production
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Hand gun & cartridge, etc, production
- Basic metals production Iron, steel & related alloys production
- Mechanical engineering Machine tool production
- Transport equipment production Motor vehicle production
- Transport equipment production Motorcycle & components production
Notes:
Traced origins to 1861 when established by a group of Birmingham gunmakers as Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd, often referred to as BSA. Soon built a large factory at Small Heath, Birmingham, where noted for use of machinery. British government / War Office was a major customer for rifles, etc. Renamed Birmingham Small Arms & Metal Co Ltd in 1873. Diversified into manufacture of bicycles and bicycle components from early1880s, motor cars from 1907 and motorcycles from 1909. 1910 acquired Daimler Motor Co Ltd and in 1931 Lanchester Motor Co Ltd. Reorganised in 1896 and renamed 1897 as Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd. Sir Dudley Docker joined as director in 1906 and important in subsequent strategy. Major weapons and ammunition manufacturers in both world wars. 1918 restructured into BSA Cycles Ltd, BSA Guns Ltd and BSA Tools Ltd when also had Sheffield steel making interests. Grew especially by acquisition post 1945, notably of bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers which included Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in 1951. Became largest motorcycle manufacturers in world. Sold Daimler 1960 to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Sold bicycle division to Raleigh in 1957. 1972 motorcycle interests merged with those of Manganese Bronze Holdings Ltd, owners of Norton Villiers [2023]Publications:
- Alfred Herbert Ltd and the British Machine Tool Industry, 1887-1983 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, & Myrddin J Lewis
- 'American system of manufactures' in Birmingham. Production methods at the Birmingham Small Arms Co in the nineteenth century by Lumley, Roger
- Birmingham Small Arms Co. Extracts from records for the period 1861-1900 by Unknown
- BSA (Redditch) Ltd by Unknown
- BSA Centenary, 1861-1961 by Unknown
- BSA Front Wheel Drive Cars by Skillen, Graham
- BSA History from the Days of the Crimea by Unknown
- BSA Machines in Operation by Unknown
- BSA. The complete story by Wright, Owen
- Centenary Issue, June 7th, 1961 by Unknown
- Century of Gun Making. BSA from 1861 to 1961 by Unknown
- Control, conflict and concession. Corporate governance, accounting and accountability at Birmingham Small Arms, 1906-1933 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, et al
- Corporate governance in a major British holding company. BSA in the interwar years by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, et al
- Directory of BSA Group by Unknown
- Dudley Docker. The life and times of a trade warrior by Davenport-Hines, R P T
- Examination of the Post Second World War Relative Decline of UK Manufacturing Industry, 1945-1975, Viewed Through the Lens of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd by Heaton, Joe
- Forty Years of Progress. The story of Daimler, Lanchester and BSA motor cars by Prioleau, John
- Giants of Small Heath. The history of BSA by Ryerson, Barry
- History of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd, 1861-1900 by Unknown
- History of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, 1861-1973 by Unknown
- History of the British Motorcycle Industry, 1945-1975 by Smith, Barbara M D
- 'Losing trust. The BSA board and corporate governance, 1900-1939' in R Lloyd-Jones et al, Personal Capitalism and Corporate Governance. British manufacturing in the first half of the twentieth century by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, Josephine Maltby, Myrddin J Lewis & Mark D Matthews
- Munitions of War. A record of the BSA and Daimler companies during the World War, 1914-1918 by Frost, George H
- New BSA Factory at Redditch by Unknown
- Personal Capitalism and Corporate Governance. British manufacturing in the first half of the twentieth century by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, Josephine Maltby, Myrddin J Lewis & Mark D Matthews
- Raleigh and the British Bicycle Industry. An economic and business history, 1870-1960 by Lloyd-Jones, Roger, & Myrddin J Lewis
- Story of BSA Motorcycles by Holliday, Bob
- The Other Battle; being a history of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd by Ward, Donovan M
- Trade Unionism and Collective Bargaining at Two British Motorcycle Factories. A study of BSA/Small Heath and Triumph/Meriden, 1951-1973 by Koerner, Steve
- Visit of His Majesty King George V to the BSA Works, Small Heath, July 23rd 1915 by Unknown