Maurice Wilks
| Maurice Wilks | |
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Maurice Wilks
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| Born |
19 August 1904 Hayling Island, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 8 September 1963 (aged 59) Newborough, Anglesey, Wales |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Car design engineer |
Maurice Fernand Cary Wilks (1904–1963) was an automotive and aeronautical engineer, and by the time of his death in 1963, was the chairman of the Rover Company, a British car manufacturer. He was responsible for the inspiration and concept work that led to the development of the Land Rover off-road utility vehicle.
Wilks was born on 19 August 1904 at Hayling Island, Hampshire, England, the youngest of five sons and one daughter of Thomas Wilks (born Balham), a Director of Leather Co and his wife Jane Eliza (born St. Sepulchre, London), a Suffragette. One of his brothers was Spencer Wilks who became managing director, chairman and president of the Rover Car Company. He was educated at Malvern College.
Maurice Wilks worked from 1922 to 1926 for the Hillman Motor Car Company in Coventry. In 1926 he went to work for General Motors in the United States but after two years in the U.S., returned to England and Hillman.
Wilks remained at Hillman as a planning engineer until 1930, when he moved to the Rover Company as chief engineer following his much older brother, Spencer. Spencer Wilks had been brought in from Hillman in September 1929 by Rover's Frank Searle made general manager and given a seat on Rover's board the following year. Spencer would be appointed managing director of Rover from 1932
In 1930 Spencer and Maurice Wilks on Spencer's appointment to the board made the important decision to make only high quality cars.
During World War II, Wilks led Rover's team developing Frank Whittle's gas turbine aircraft engines. Experiencing difficulties with Whittle's team Rover passed the project to Rolls-Royce in 1943. After the war, Wilks continued working with gas turbine engines, leading to Rover unveiling the first gas turbine powered car in 1949.
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