EG Wrigley and Company
Encyclopedia
EG Wrigley and Company Ltd. was a British
car, car component, and mechanical parts manufacturer, located at Foundry Lane, Soho
, Birmingham
.
Edward Greenwood Wrigley established a tool making business at 232 Aston Road, Birmingham in 1898. EG Wrigley and Company moved to Foundry lane, Soho, Birmingham in 1902. In 1906 Wrigley's showed a complete car gearbox at that year's Olympia Show and by 1912 were manufacturing front and rear axle
s.
In 1913 they began experimenting with a cyclecar
with a two-cylinder, air- or water-cooled engine
and two-speed gearbox. Very few were built before the company was involved in war work, including making aircraft
parts. After the war Wrigley handed over the running of his company due to ill health, he died in January 1941.
The company continued building, among other products, engines and gearboxes. At the end of 1923 the company went into receivership and on 1 January 1924 William Morris
bought the complete assets, including the buildings, and on February 4 of that year, the Wrigley works were incorporated as Morris Commercial Cars Limited
, for the manufacture of commercial vehicle
s based on Morris
car chassis.
Wrigley cars were only made during 1913.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
car, car component, and mechanical parts manufacturer, located at Foundry Lane, Soho
Soho, Birmingham
Soho is an area in north west Birmingham, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Edward Greenwood Wrigley established a tool making business at 232 Aston Road, Birmingham in 1898. EG Wrigley and Company moved to Foundry lane, Soho, Birmingham in 1902. In 1906 Wrigley's showed a complete car gearbox at that year's Olympia Show and by 1912 were manufacturing front and rear axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s.
In 1913 they began experimenting with a cyclecar
Cyclecar
Cyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s.-General description:Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or more rarely four cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other...
with a two-cylinder, air- or water-cooled engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
and two-speed gearbox. Very few were built before the company was involved in war work, including making aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
parts. After the war Wrigley handed over the running of his company due to ill health, he died in January 1941.
The company continued building, among other products, engines and gearboxes. At the end of 1923 the company went into receivership and on 1 January 1924 William Morris
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
bought the complete assets, including the buildings, and on February 4 of that year, the Wrigley works were incorporated as Morris Commercial Cars Limited
Morris Commercial Cars
Morris Commercial Cars Limited was a British manufacturer of commercial vehicles founded by William Morris, who was also the founder of the Morris Motor Company.-History:...
, for the manufacture of commercial vehicle
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
s based on Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
car chassis.
Wrigley cars were only made during 1913.