David Brown (entrepreneur)
| Sir David Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 May 1904 Huddersfield, Yorkshire |
| Died | 3 September 1993 (aged 89) Monte Carlo |
| Occupation | Industrialist, entrepreneur |
| Known for |
David Brown Ltd. Aston Martin |
Sir David Brown (10 May 1904 – 3 September 1993) was an English entrepreneur, managing director of his family farm David Brown Ltd. and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thorneycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin.
Brown was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. After attending King James's Grammar School, Almondbury and Rossall School he started work as an apprentice in the family business, David Brown Gear Company Ltd. He became managing director in 1931, on his uncle Percy's death.
In 1934 the company built a new factory on a site at Meltham, on the south side of Huddersfield. Brown, who also owned a farm, started the Ferguson-Brown Company building tractors with Harry Ferguson there in 1936, but they disagreed over design details, which led David Brown to design his own version. During the Second World War his new heavier tractor, called the David Brown VAK1, was produced, with over 7,700 units eventually sold, making Brown into a wealthy man. Harry Ferguson went to America and did a deal with Henry Ford to incorporate his system in the Ford N-Series tractor, before setting up Ferguson Tractors. In 1972, the David Brown tractor interests were sold to Tenneco International and were rebadged as Case.
In 1947, Brown saw a classified advertisement in The Times, offering for sale a "High Class Motor Business". Brown acquired Aston Martin for £20,500 and, in the following year, Lagonda for £52,500, followed by the coachbuilder Tickford in 1955. He subsequently concentrated all the Aston Martin manufacturing at the Tickford premises in Newport Pagnell.
...
Wikipedia