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Leyland Motors was a British vehicle manufacturer of Lorries and Bus es. It gave its name to the nationalised British Leyland Motor Corporation , later to become just British Leyland . HISTORY Beginning Leyland has a long history dating from 1896 , when the Sumner and Spurrier families founded the Lancashire Steam Motor Company in the town of Leyland in North West England. The company's first vehicle was a 1.5-ton-capacity Steam van. The Lancashire Steam Motor Company was renamed '''Leyland Motors''' in 1907 when they took over Coulthards of Preston . They also built a second factory in the neighbouring town of Chorley which still remains today. Leyland Motors built the Leyland 8 racing car, which was driven by J.G. Parry-Thomas at Brooklands. Parry Thomas was later killed in attempt on the land speed record when a chain drive broke. Three generations of Spurriers controlled Leyland Motors from its foundation until the retirement of Sir Henry Spurrier in 1964. Sir Henry inherited control of Leyland from his father in 1942, and successfully guided Leyland's growth during the postwar years. Whilst the Spurrier family were in control Leyland enjoyed excellent labour relations - reputedly never losing a day's production through industrial action. World War 2 During the War , Leyland along with most vehicle manufacturers was involved in war production. Leyland built the Cromwell Tank at its works from 1943 . After the war, Leyland continued military manufacture with the Centurion Tank . Post war In 1946 , AEC and Leyland worked to form the British United Traction Ltd. In 1955, through an equity agreement, manufacture of commercial vehicles under license from Leyland commenced in Madras , India at the new Ashok factory. The Products were branded as Ashok Leyland . On the other hand, Leyland Motors acquired other companies in the post war years:
In 1968, the merger with British Motor Holdings , which included the Daimler and Guy , Austin and Morris Commercial bus and lorry lines to give the British Leyland Motor Corporation with the majority of famous British goods vehicle and bus and coach Marque s in one organization. British Leyland era The British Leyland group was difficult to manage because of the many companies under its control, often making similar products. This, and other reasons, led to financial difficulties and in December 1974 British Leyland had to receive a guarantee from the British government. In 1975, after the publication of the Ryder Report, the British Leyland group was nationalised and split into 4 divisions with British Leyland's bus and truck production becoming Leyland Truck & Bus. Leyland Truck & Bus was spilt into '''Leyland Bus''' and '''Leyland Trucks''' in 1981. The equity stake in Ashok Leyland was controlled by Land Rover Leyland International Holdings, and sold in 1987. Leyland Name post-British Leyland Buses The Leyland Bus operations was divested as a Management Buy-out (sold to its management) and subsequently bought by Volvo Buses in 1988 , which discontinued most of its product range. Trucks
PRODUCTS Historically, Leyland Motors was a major manufacturer of Buses used in the United Kingdom and world-wide, being probably most famous for the trend-setting Atlantean rear-engined Double Decker design produced between 1956 and 1986 . Buses See List Of Leyland Buses Trucks SEE ALSO
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