Guy Motors Ltd of Fallings Park, Wolverhampton produced commercial vehicles from 1918 to 1979.
See Sub-sections -
1914 Sydney Slater Guy left Sunbeam, where he was works manager, to start his own company to produce commercial vehicles almost next door to Sunbeam.
The first vehicle produced was a 30 cwt lorry with a 14.9 hp White and Poppe engine and three-speed gearbox
1914 Public company.
WWI During the war production of lorries continued with some production of ABC aero engines
1915-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Petrol Motor Commercial Vehicles see the 1917 Red Book
1919 New capital issue. Directors are: J. A. Jordan (Chairman), Sydney S. Guy (MD) and T. S. Hooper. [1].
1919 Introduced a luxury car with a V8 engine but after some 200 were produced it ceased production in 1922
1922 Introduced a heavy-duty six-wheeler and a 3-ton electric truck
1925 Introduced the first military cross-country vehicle with three-axles and four-wheel drive.
1926 Started production of the first six-wheeled double-decked bus and trolley buses based on six wheels and a double-decker with an engine by Rees Roturbo
1928 Purchased Star Engineering Co by an exchange of shares
1928 Sydney S. Guy is Chairman and MD.
1938 Sydney S. Guy is Chairman. W. E. Bullock appointed to board. [2]
1939 Introduced a four-wheeled rear-engine driven all-welded armoured car in bulletproof plate.
1943 John Good appointed to the board. [3]
1948 G. P. Roberts appointed to the board. [4]
1948 Park Royal Vehicles had arranged to supply technical information to the company who were manufacturing double-decker bodywork at Wolverhampton to Park Royal's designs[5]
1948 Guy Motors acquired Sunbeam Trolley Bus Co from J. Brockhouse and Co except for the tools section which Brockhouse retained[6], making this the largest trolleybus business in the country.
1954 Introduced the 'Big Otter' with either a Gardner's or Meadows engine
1954 Introduced the 'Goliath' range at the end of the year but the name was later changed to 'Invincible'
1957 Sydney S. Guy retired. A. L. Blower is Chairman, Colonel Merrett is MD, Trevor Guy and Robin Guy are directors.
1958 'Invincible Mk 2' introduced
1959 At the show they had the new 'Victory'
1959 The 'Wulfrunin' double-decker bus introduced
1961 The company was acquired by Jaguar who immediately sacked Robin and Trevor Guy.
1961 Manufacturers of commercial vehicles, motor omnibuses and electric trolleybuses.
1964 The 'Otter', 'Invincible' and 'Warrior' dropped and the 'Big J' introduced
1968 Ownership passed to Leyland Motors.
1975 Announced that all vehicle production at Wolverhampton to be phased out and only components to continue
1982 Production ceased.
See Also
Sources of Information
- British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
- Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
- 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises: Motor, Motor-Cycle and Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers
- 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- Powered Vehicles made in the Black Country by Jim Boulton and Harold Parsons. Published 1990. ISBN 0 904015 30 0