With the British motor industry virtually extinct and car manufacturers around the world, suffering at the hands of the global economic crisis, today we take a look at an era in history when things were very different.Herbert Austin, founder of the famous Austin Motor Company Ltd, was born in Yorkshire in 1866. He was educated at Rotherham Grammar School, and Brampton Commercial College, where he studied architecture. At the age of 16 he went to Australia with his uncle and started work as an apprentice at Langlands foundry in Melbourne. He later worked for several engineering firms before finding himself working for the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company in 1893, where he became manager. Owner Frederick Wolseley asked Herbert to return to England and supervise a sheep shearing equipment manufacturing factory in Birmingham. Due to the seasonality of sheep shearing the company also made bicycle components and small machinery parts. He was elected to the Board in 1901, eventually becoming Chairman in 1911.
Austin was one of the earliest English engineers to realise the potential of the petrol-driven vehicle. He produced his first car, a tiller steered, three wheeler, in 1895. The Wolseley board refused to finance his project and Herbert, with help from his brother, decided to build the car himself, in rented property, close to the Wolseley foundry. In 1896 an improved model gained the silver prize, when exhibited at the Crystal Palace, London and went on to win first prize in a thousand mile trial held in 1900. At this time Austin was still managing the Wolseley foundry, but in 1905, with capital of £20,000, he founded the Austin Motor Company Ltd in Longbridge. Starting with a workforce of 270 he produced 120 cars in 1906. By 1914 he was producing 1,000 cars a year and employed 2,000 staff. In 1913 the plant produced it's first lorry, establishing Austin as a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. During the first world war the plant was used to make guns, shells and aeroplanes, employing 22,000 workers.
Herbert Austin was elected Conservative M.P. for the Kings Norton division of Birmingham. After the war the factory returned to making cars, a 20hp model that sold for just £495, smaller cars followed in 1920. When this idea met opposition from the Board Austin financed the project himself. The popular Austin Seven, known as the 'chummy,' quickly followed in 1922 and sold for £165. A new version of the Austin Seven 'The Top Hat' was introduced in 1927. Austin Seven production thrived through to the outbreak of world war two in 1939 with over 16,000 workers producing 78,000 cars a year. At the outbreak of war the factory, once again, was taken over to make military vehicles and other items, until war ended in 1945.
During the 1930's Austin donated large sums of his wealth to charities, much of which supported hospitals and medical research. Austin was created a Baron in 1936 and became Lord Austin Baron of Longbridge. During the difficult post-war years the Austin Twelve and Austin Seven continued to be popular and initiated a still more successful phase for the future.
Herbert married Helen Dron of Melbourne in 1887, they had two daughters Irene and Zita Elaine. They also had a son Vernon, who was killed in action in 1915. Herbert Austin died at Lickey Grange, Bromsgrove on 23rd May 1941 and with no surviving son, the peerage became extinct.
