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BACK | | From Outback engineer to motorcar mogul
Austin sets up his own company |
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Austin showroom, Long Acre near Covent Garden, London about 1910. Austin was among the first companies to have showrooms. | © Thinktank Trust
Herbert Austin left Wolseley in 1905. Wolesley had begun making motorcars to cope with variations in demand for shears. Wanting to be his own boss, he established the Austin Motorcar Company in Longbridge, Birmingham. It soon became the fifth biggest car company in Britain.
Austin threw himself into the challenge. Within 6 months he had built the first Austin and secured many orders. By 1914 2,300 workers were making 1,000 cars per year. During World War One the factory produced trucks, aeroplanes, and 8 million artillery shells. Austin was knighted for his efforts. MORE |
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