Claude Johnson
| Claude Goodman Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
24 October 1864 Datchet, Berkshire, England |
| Died | 12 April 1926 (aged 61) London, England |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Founding managing director of Rolls-Royce |
Claude Goodman Johnson (24 October 1864 – 12 April 1926), motor vehicle manufacturer, was a British businessman who was instrumental in the creation of Rolls-Royce Limited.
Johnson described himself as the hyphen in the Rolls-Royce name. When Royce fell ill and took his design staff home in 1908, and after the death of Rolls in July 1910, it was Johnson who was responsible for keeping the business running, until his own death in April 1926.
Claude Johnson was born in Datchet, Berkshire on 24 October 1864 to the middle of the large family of William Goodman Johnson and his wife Sophia Fanny (née Adams). His father was on the staff of the South Kensington Museum.
Known as CJ, Johnson was a large broad-shouldered extrovert.
Educated at St Paul's School he briefly attended the Art School, South Kensington, joined the Imperial Institute in South Kensington and, for the Institute, organised the first automobile exhibition in England at Richmond Park in 1896. Hired in 1897 by F R Simms, who had noted his organisational ability and public relations flair, Johnson became the first secretary of the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) where he organised the club's Thousand Mile trial of 1900. The RAC Club's Jubilee Book simply stated "To him is owed the fact of the club's existence today".
Leaving the RAC in 1903 originally for a manufacturing venture Johnson became joint manager with Charles Rolls of C.S. Rolls & Co finding high quality cars for friends which was to lead first to their discovery of F H Royce in Manchester and a 1904 contract for Royce to supply cars branded Rolls-Royce and then in 1906 to Rolls-Royce Limited.
Johnson became a close friend with newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth which ensured more publicity, Harmsworth personally dominated the British press.
At first responsibilities were divided three ways. Charles Rolls promoted the cars by competing in trials and races, Johnson understudied Rolls at this but was also responsible for sales as well as business organisation, Royce's responsibility was production.
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