Vauxhall (United Kingdom), 1914-2009, undated
Part of collection: Z. Taylor Vinson collection of transportation ephemera (20100108-ZTV)
Dates
- Creation: 1914-2009
- Creation: undated
Scope and Content
This subseries documents Vauxhall, which was built by Vauxhall Iron Works Limited of London, England (1903-1904) and Luton, England (1905-1906); Vauxhall & West Hydraulic Engineering Company Limited of Luton, England (1906-1907); and Vauxhall Motors Limited of Luton, England (1907-Present).
The origins of Vauxhall go back to 1857 when Alexander Wilson founded Alex Wilson & Company, a manufacturer of pumps and marine engines. The company changed its name to Vauxhall Iron Works in 1903 and built its first car that same year. Vauxhall soon earned a reputation for building excellent high-priced cars and the company quickly grew. In the years prior to World War I, the company also enjoyed great success in auto racing.
Vauxhall struggled financially in the years immediately following World War I, which led it to seek out a partner. It found one in 1925 when it was purchased by General Motors, who subsequently made Vauxhall its British subsidiary. Under General Motors' guidance, Vauxhall moved into the mass production segment of the automobile market, a move which helped it grow substantially and survive the Great Depression. In the 1930, Vauxhall established Bedford Vehicles, which produced commercial trucks for the British market. During World War II, the company contributed to the British war effort by building Churchill tanks.
Vauxhall resumed peacetime production soon after the end of World War II and remained a major player in the British automobile market. In the 1960s, Vauxhall started to develop its cars in coordination with its General Motors sibling Opel. During the 1970s and 1980s, General Motors consolidated Vauxhall's operations with Opel's. By the 1980s, Vauxhall had ceased building cars of its own design and solely built cars designed by Opel.
Vauxhall is currently a subsidiary of its General Motors sibling Opel and is the United Kingdom's second largest automaker. See also Bedford, General Motors, and Opel (Germany).
General Physical Description note
14 boxes; 1 folder oversize; 3 folders
Extent
From the Series: 625 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Additional Description
Access Restrictions
Vinson’s manuscript A Collector’s Life: An Autobiography, included in Series XIII, is closed to researchers until 2035.
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Published Collections Repository