Industry |
Motor cars |
---|---|
Fate |
Merged with Hawker Aircraft (1935) |
Successor | Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club Ltd |
Founded | 1919 |
Defunct | 1960 |
Headquarters | Coventry, England |
Key people
|
John Davenport Siddeley |
Parent | Armstrong Whitworth (1919–27) |
Subsidiaries | Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft (1927–35) |
Motor cars
Aircraft engines
Merged with Hawker Aircraft (1935)
Merged with Bristol Aero Engines (1960)
became Bristol Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury vehicles and aircraft engines.
The company was created following the purchase by Armstrong Whitworth of Siddeley-Deasy, a manufacturer of fine motor cars, that were marketed to the top echelon of society. After the merge of companies this focus on quality continued throughout in the production of cars, aircraft engines, gearboxes for tanks and buses, rocket and torpedo motors, and the development of railcars. Company mergers and takeovers with Hawker Aviation and Bristol Aero Engines saw the continuation of the car production but the production of cars ceased in August 1960.
The company was absorbed into the Rolls-Royce conglomerate who were interested in the aircraft and aircraft engine business. Eventually the remaining spares and all motor car interests were sold to the Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club Ltd, who now own the patents, designs, copyrights and trademarks, including the name Armstrong Siddeley.
Siddeley Autocars, of Coventry, was founded by John Davenport Siddeley (1866–1953) in 1902. Its products were heavily based on Peugeots, using many of their parts but fitted with English-built bodies. This company merged with Wolseley in 1905 and made stately Wolseley-Siddeley motorcars. They were used by Queen Alexandra and the Duke of York later King George V.