William Walmsley
Encyclopedia
William Walmsley was with William Lyons
a co-founder of the Swallow Sidecar Company
, which later became the Jaguar
car company.
. Walmsley then lived in King Edward Avenue, close to William Lyons. Walmsley had designed a motorcycle sidecar
which attracted Lyons, who bought one. The following year, the men decided to begin producing the sidecar commercially. The Swallow Sidecar Company of Blackpool was the result.
In 1927, the company started coach-building motorcars, putting their own bodywork on an Austin Seven
chassis
. Four years later, they contracted to buy engines and chassis from Standard Motor Company
.
Sales were good, and at the 1931 London Motor Show their SS class car was exhibited. It cost under £350.
Walmsley had a personal 1934 SS.1 two seater commissioned.
Walmsley was content with the company's modest success and saw little point in taking risks by expanding the firm. Lyons bought him out and became the sole owner in 1935, shortly after the company had moved to Coventry
. Walmsley continued in business making trailers.
The name "Jaguar" was not used until after World War II
, long after Walmsley had left the company.
William Lyons
Sir William Lyons , known as "Mr. Jaguar", was with fellow motorcycle enthusiast William Walmsley, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War....
a co-founder of the Swallow Sidecar Company
Swallow Sidecar Company
The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded on 4 September 1922 by two friends, William Walmsley and William Lyons . Both families lived in the same street in Blackpool, England. Walmsley had previously been making sidecars and bolting them onto reconditioned motorcycles...
, which later became the Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
car company.
Biography
Walmsley was born in Stockport, England, the son of a coal merchant. When his father retired in 1921, the family moved to BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. Walmsley then lived in King Edward Avenue, close to William Lyons. Walmsley had designed a motorcycle sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
which attracted Lyons, who bought one. The following year, the men decided to begin producing the sidecar commercially. The Swallow Sidecar Company of Blackpool was the result.
In 1927, the company started coach-building motorcars, putting their own bodywork on an Austin Seven
Austin Seven
There were four Austin Motor Company cars to use the Seven name:* A single cylinder car produced in 1909* The 1922-1939 Austin 7* The original Mini* The launch title of the Austin A30...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
. Four years later, they contracted to buy engines and chassis from Standard Motor Company
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
.
Sales were good, and at the 1931 London Motor Show their SS class car was exhibited. It cost under £350.
Walmsley had a personal 1934 SS.1 two seater commissioned.
Walmsley was content with the company's modest success and saw little point in taking risks by expanding the firm. Lyons bought him out and became the sole owner in 1935, shortly after the company had moved to Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. Walmsley continued in business making trailers.
The name "Jaguar" was not used until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, long after Walmsley had left the company.