Wolseley Motors
 |
|
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Fate | Merged |
| Successor | British Motor Corporation |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, England |
|
Key people
|
Thomas and Albert Vickers Herbert Austin J D Siddeley A J McCormack W R Morris |
| Product type | Automotive marque |
|---|---|
| Owner | SAIC Motor |
| Discontinued | 1987 |
| Previous owners |
Vickers, Sons and Maxim (1901–1927) W R Morris (1927–1935) Morris Motors Limited (1935–1952) BMC (1952–1967) British Leyland (1967–1986) Rover Group (1986–1988) BAe (1988–1994) BMW (1994–2000) MG Rover (2000–2005) NAC (2005–2007) |
Wolseley Motors Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in early 1901 by the Vickers armaments combine in conjunction with Herbert Austin. It initially made a full range topped by large luxury cars and dominated the market in the Edwardian era but the Vickers brothers died in 1915 and 1919, respectively. In 1921, expanding rapidly, it manufactured 12,000 cars and still continued to be the biggest motor manufacturer in Britain. Over-expansion led to receivership in 1927 when it was bought from Vickers by William Morris as a personal investment and years later moved into his Morris Motors empire. Even just before the Second World War its products were "badge-engineered". It went with its sister businesses into BMC, BMH and British Leyland where its name lapsed in 1975.
Hiram Maxim, inventor of the machine gun that bears his name and by then a member of the combine Vickers Sons & Maxim, had consulted Herbert Austin at Wolseley in the late 1890s a number of times in relation to the design of flying machines, which he was developing and constructing. Maxim made use of a number of suggestions made by Austin in Maxim's activities at his works in Crayford, Kent. Once the sheep-shearing company had decided they would not pursue their automobile interest an approach was made and agreement quickly reached.
The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company of Adderley Park Birmingham was incorporated in March 1901 with a capital of £40,000 by Vickers, Sons and Maxim to manufacture motor cars and machine tools. The managing director was Herbert Austin. The cars and the Wolseley name came from Austin's exploratory venture for The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company Limited, run since the early 1890s by the now 33-year-old Austin. Wolseley's board had decided not to enter the business and Maxim and the Vickers brothers picked it up. After his five-year contract with The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company ended Austin founded The Austin Motor Company Limited.
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