William Lyons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
William Lyons
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|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 4 September 1901 |
| Died | 8 February 1985 (aged 83) Warwickshire, England
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| Other names | "Mr. Jaguar" |
| Known for | Co-founder of Jaguar Cars |
| Spouse(s) |
Greta Brown
(m. 1924) |
| Children | 3 |
Sir William Lyons (born September 4, 1901 – died February 8, 1985) was a very important person in the car world. People often called him "Mr. Jaguar." He loved motorcycles and, with his friend William Walmsley, started a company in 1922. This company was first called the Swallow Sidecar Company. Later, after World War II, it became the famous car company we know today: Jaguar Cars Limited.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
William Lyons was born in Blackpool, England. His father, who was from Ireland, owned a shop that sold musical instruments. William went to Arnold School. After school, he got a special training job as an engineering apprentice at Crossley Motors in Manchester. He also studied at a technical school there. In 1919, he left Crossley and started working as a salesman. He sold cars for Sunbeam at a place called Brown and Mallalieu in Blackpool.
Starting with Motorcycles
In 1921, William Lyons met William Walmsley. Walmsley was good at taking old army motorcycles and changing them for everyday use. He also made sidecars for them. Lyons was really impressed by these sidecars and even bought one.
Both Lyons and Walmsley got a big loan of £500 from their fathers. This money was to help them start a business together. They had to wait a bit because Lyons was not yet 21 years old, which was the legal age. But on his 21st birthday, they officially became business partners.
Their new company was named Swallow Sidecars. It started with just "three men and a boy" working there. They made very stylish sidecars. After 1927, they started making more and more cars. These were low-cost cars built on existing car frames, like the Austin Seven Swallow. Their factory in Blackpool made about 12 of these cars every week.
To make more cars, they needed bigger places. So, after moving a few times in Blackpool, Lyons moved the whole company (and his family!) to Coventry in 1928. Production grew to 50 cars each week. In 1931, they started selling a car called the SS 1. Then, in 1933, the company's name changed to SS Cars Ltd. The next year, William Walmsley left the company.
The Birth of Jaguar
The very first car to be called "Jaguar" came out in 1935. After World War II, Lyons decided to change the company name to Jaguar. He did this to avoid any bad feelings linked to the letters "SS," which were also used by the Nazi "Schutzstaffel" group.
It's interesting that another company, Armstrong Siddeley, let Lyons use the Jaguar name. They had used it for their successful aircraft engines. This shows how friendly car companies were with each other back then!
During the war, Jaguar stopped making cars. Instead, they made and fixed aircraft. But the engineers kept working on new ideas. They even worked on some secret military projects. Most importantly for the future of the company, Lyons and his main engineer, William Heynes, worked on a brand new engine. Lyons dreamed of making a sports car that many people could buy.
The new engine, called the XK engine, was finished in 1948. It was shown off in a special sports car that was supposed to be a one-time design. This car was meant to get people's attention for the new engine. It worked even better than they thought! Both the engine and the car became famous overnight, all around the world.
The XK engine was so good that it powered all Jaguar cars until 1971. That's when the Jaguar V12 engine was introduced. The Jaguar XJ6 car even used the XK engine until 1992! The special sports car, the Jaguar XK120, also went into full production. It led to many other exciting and successful sports cars. These cars helped Jaguar win many international races, especially at Le Mans. This made Jaguar Cars and the city of Coventry famous worldwide. But Lyons' main goal was always the saloon car (a regular family car). He kept working on these cars until his proudest achievement, the XJ6, came out in 1968.
While he was in charge, Lyons was known for being very strong-willed. He kept a very close watch on the company. People say that board meetings were rare until the 1960s! He was in charge of how every new car model looked. This was amazing because Sir William was not a trained engineer. He designed cars by making full-size models and having skilled workers change them based on his ideas.
Another one of his great talents was picking a fantastic team. These engineers stayed loyal to him for a very long time. People like William Heynes, Claude Baily, Walter Hassan, and Tom Jones all helped create a strong engineering team.
In 1956, Lyons gave his permission for The Jaguar Drivers' Club to be formed. This was a club for people who owned Jaguar cars. It is the only owners' club that Lyons and the company officially approved. It still exists today and has thousands of members.
Later Years and Retirement
In 1956, William Lyons was given the title of "Sir" (knighted). This was because he did so much for British industry and because his company sold so many cars to other countries.
In 1966, the car industry was changing a lot around the world. To keep Jaguar strong, he merged his company with the British Motor Corporation (BMC). They formed a new group called British Motor Holdings. Later, this group became part of British Leyland.
In his last years before he retired as managing director in 1967, Lyons worked very hard. He tried to keep his company's unique identity and independence, especially its engineering team. He retired completely in 1972 and moved to Wappenbury Hall. There, he enjoyed playing golf, traveling, gardening, and raising prize-winning sheep and cows on his farm.
Even after retiring, Lyons still helped Jaguar with advice until shortly before he passed away. He even helped design the Jaguar XJS and Jaguar XJ40 cars during his retirement.
Family Life
William Lyons married Greta Brown in 1924. They had three children: Patricia (born 1927), John Michael (born 1930, died 1955), and Mary (born 1937).
Patricia married a rally driver named Ian Appleyard. She was his co-driver in many international car rallies from 1951 to 1956. They often drove a Jaguar XK120 car. They even won the Alpine Rally three times! Patricia later remarried and had two children.
Sadly, John Michael, their son, died in a car accident in France in 1955. He was on his way to a famous car race.
Mary, their youngest daughter, married Guy Rimell. They had three children. Sir William and Lady Lyons had a happy retirement with their beloved dogs.
Passing Away
Sir William Lyons passed away on February 8, 1985, at his home in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He was 83 years old. His wife, Lady Greta Lyons, died the next year. They were both buried near their home.
