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Herbert Austin, founder of the Austin Motor Company, was born 8th November
1866 at Grange Farm, Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire. His family moved
to Wentworth, Yorkshire where his father was appointed farm bailiff on
Earl Fitzwilliam's estate. He was educated at Wentworth School,
Rotherham Grammar School and Brampton Commercial College.
His
mother secured an engineering apprenticeship for him with a firm in
Melbourne, Australia, which he took up in 1884. After working for a
number of companies he was invited by Frederick Wolseley to work for the
Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company. He was so successful that he was
offered the post of manager of their British operations, which he
accepted and returned to England in 1893. Kelly’s Directory for
Birmingham, 1894, names Herbert Austin as Inspector of the Wolseley
Sheep Shearing Machine Co. Ltd., 58½, Broad Street.
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Whilst working for Wolseley he built 2 experimental tri-cars, the first
in 1895 and the second in 1896. This second car was exhibited at the
Crystal Palace exhibition of that year.
The first 4 wheel
Wolseley was built in 1899. This car was entered for the Automobile Club
of Great Britain’s 1,000-mile trial in 1900 and took first prize. In
1901 the Wolseley Tool and Motor Company, with financial backing from
the Vickers Armaments concern, was founded at Adderley Park with Austin
as its manager. In 1905 Austin resigned from the Company in order to
start his own company the Austin Motor Company.
Austin had identified a suitable site for his factory whilst working for
Wolseley's. The site, seven miles from Birmingham, was at Longbridge. It
was well served by road and rail with ample room for future expansion.
Finance for the company was provided by: Austin, Frank Kayser of Kayser,
Ellison and Company, and Harvey du Cros of the Dunlop Rubber Company.
Although the purchase of the site and buildings actually took place on
26th January 1906, Austin had already installed himself and his staff in
the empty buildings and was at work well in advance of that date. The
reason for this was that Austin wanted to exhibit at the Olympia Motor
Show in November 1905. One of Harvey du Cros’s businesses: Du Cros
Mercedes Limited, allowed Austin to use part of their stand to promote
the fledgling company. Austin and his draughtsmen, armed with
blueprints, generated considerable interest and managed to secure a
number of firm orders.
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When the first accounts for the company were published in October 1906 the
net turnover for the company was £14,772 with 23 cars being sold: mainly
25/30's with a few 15/20's. By the following year the net turnover was
nearly £100,000 and 147 sold. Austin enjoyed some small success during
this period: the first car produced was entered in the 1906 Scottish
Reliability Trial, and made a 3 day non-stop run. The second car built won
the 100 guineas Dunlop Challenge Cup in the Irish Reliability Trial. Also
in this year the 15/20 model had its bore increased by 1/8" and became the
18/24.
A private limited liability company was formed in 1908 by
Austin, Kayser and du Cros with turnover going up to £119,744 and 254 cars
sold. The 18/24 remained but the 25/30 got bored out to become the 40.
Other manufacturers were making 6 cylinder engines, Austin could not
ignore this development so he added 2 extra cylinders to the 40 and so the
60 was born. |
 | | Illustration from 'Our First 50 Years' |
1909 saw the introduction of a smaller, cheaper engined car: the 15. The
15 was unusual in that the driver sat centrally and above the engine. The
15 continued in production until 1919.
By 1910 nearly 1,000 workers
were employed at Longbridge and a night shift was found to be necessary.
The 10 was announced at the Motor Show of 1910. This was another small, cheap
model aimed at the Continental market, and made available in Britain in
1911. 1910 also saw the introduction of a very small, single cylinder
engined model 7. Only 1 model 7 was built at Longbridge before production
was transferred to the Swift Works in Coventry, a company owned by Harvey
du Cros.
The Company successfully diversified into marine engines
and also produced a 2/3 ton lorry in 1913.
In February 1914 the Company
went into public ownership, the capitalisation realising £250,000.
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