The Automotive Dream “One man and his dream had not simply left the world with an engine and four wheels; Henry Ford and his Model T had influenced people's everyday lives - where they lived, how they spent their leisure time, even how they viewed themselves.” - Gary...
Who is Sir William Lyons?
Written by Irina
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The Man Behind Jaguar
“Until his retirement he was Jaguar.” – Roger Hicks in Jaguar
When we think of great cars that can clearly be traced back to one person, early Jaguars and Sir William Lyons come to mind. Jaguars are known to be both great looking and technologically advanced. Jaguar has Lyons to thank for this reputation. Today’s car production is run by huge corporations, and car development and design is done by committee. Bringing a new car to market is based on extensive market research and endless back and forth between a number of invisible agents. This hasn’t always been the case. Automotive pioneers like Lyons dreamed, made and sold cars themselves. Some would even go so far as to say that no great car has ever been made by committee, suggesting that today’s order of business has lost the capability to create truly great cars. This blog introduces you to Bill Lyons and his contribution to the Jaguar brand.
A Businessman from the Start
William Lyons was born in Blackpool, United Kingdom, in 1901. Very early in his life, he showed an aptitude for mechanics and for salesmanship. In 1921 he approached his neighbor, William Walmsley, who was producing stylish motorcycle sidecars under the “Swallow” name as a hobby, and asked to partner up with him. Lyons saw the Swallow’s market potential and wanted to develop Walmsley’s hobby into a viable business.
The Swallow Sidecar Company was created in 1922 as soon as Lyons turned 21, the legal age at the time in the United Kingdom to own a business. Through hard work, the partnership prospered and the company grew. Expanding into coachbuilding, the Swallow Sidecar Company produced bodies to fit Austin Seven chassis. Lyons believed that there was a market for slightly up-scale cars with an identifiable image in the cost-friendly car market. The resulting vehicle was known at the Austin-Swallow and presented in 1927. Very well received, Swallow bodies were made to fit Austin and other marques’ chassis until 1931.
That year, with the help of Cyril Holland, Lyons would design his own chassis to be produced by Standard Motors for Swallow. The new venture would be known under the S.S. initials. Some speculate that they stand for “Standard-Swallow,” although Lyons would refer to the resulting car as the “Swallow Special.”
Lyon’s First Car
The first car presented at the 1931 London Motor Show, the SS One, established Lyons and Walmsley as car manufacturers. S.S. Car Limited was registered in 1933. The next year, Walmsley left the company and Lyons bought back his shares of the now publicly traded company. While sales were moderate at first, within four years, Lyons launched more models and introduced the SS Jaguar range consisting of competitively priced sports cars in 1935. All SS cars were recognized for their unique style, a direct influence of Lyons’ work.
The Second World War interrupted car production. In parallel with his contribution to the war effort, Lyons and his colleagues took this time to develop an engine. At the end of the war, Lyons was ready to produce a car not only with their own body and chassis, but also with their own engine. For obvious reasons, the SS name was dropped. Jaguar was born adopting the name of the last range of cars produced before the war.
Lyons and the Iconic Jaguars
The XK120
Although Lyons was not a designer nor an engineer, he loosely sketched what he wanted and Holland (and later Fred Gardner) would reinterpret his sketches. The first iconic Jaguar was no different. The XK120 was produced as a test bed for the six-cylinder XK engine, the “side-project” developed during the war. Introduced in 1948, the “120” stands for the expected speed of which the car was anticipated to be capable. The look of the XK120 was also imagined by Lyons. In fact, the great founder of the brand was known to be an autocratic leader.
The XK120 was a GT, not a race car. Independent agents entered the XK120 into the racing circuit nevertheless. This turned out to be an extremely successful endeavor. This resulted in a close association between Jaguar and racing for years to come. For a time, the XK120 was the fastest production car in the world.
The C-Type and the D-Type
To build on the XK120’s racing success the special competition car, the C-Type, was made expressly for racing in 1951. To this day, it is an iconic car with a timeless look. Although developed for racing, some cars were produced for private buyers making it a production car. Similarly, the D-Type was produced to replace the C-Type. Again, although it was made for the track, a lucky few have purchased this car for personal use. Together, the C and D Type won five Le Mans races in the 1950s for Jaguar. Both cars are often recreated today for Jaguar collectors. Their “feline’ look is believed to have influenced the design of many subsequent Jaguars including the E-Type.
The E-Type
The final car that Lyons fully produced was the famous E-Type. Introduced in 1961, it was applauded for its attractive design. Even Enzo Ferrari is cited as finding it beautiful. To this day, some believe that it is the most beautiful car in the world. The E-Type is the perfect example of Lyons’ genius. Lyons knew what the customers wanted, and gave it to them. He was brilliant at making cars that appealed to emotions thus making Jaguar drivers feel special.
What Now?
Sir Wililiam Lyons was knighted in 1956 for his contribution to the automotive field. In 1966 Lyons merged Jaguar with the larger British Motor Corporation to ensure the company would survive him. Indeed, there was no clear successor to Lyons. Despite this merger, Lyons remained on the board of the company until his retirement in 1972 continuing to give his input on Jaguar production. Sir Lyons passed in 1985. Jaguar and Lyons’ success is impressive to me; from the creation of the Swallow Sidecar Company when he was 21 years old, until his death at the age of 83, he devoted his whole life to this one successful business.
Other great names in automobile history became great later in life, after doing many other ventures like Delahaye and Schacht whose car companies grew as evolutions of previous successful buggy or horse carriage businesses. Others, like Ford, tried several times to produce successful cars before finding the winning combination and establishing their name. Lyons was successful from the beginning, and grew the brand throughout his life. Next week’s post introduces you to a popular car in the Demers Car Collection: the Jaguar XJS.
