Guy Motors
In spite of the wartime situation, Guy brought out a revised version of their 30cwt lorry in May 1915, with the engine (made by White and Poppe) and transmission mounted on a separate subframe from the main body.
[4] A year later they revealed their new 2-ton model,[5] this time powered by a Tylor JB4 engine (a type approved by the War Office and in use on wartime trucks by Karrier and AEC).
[9] The Guy cars were produced in a separate works and in relatively small numbers, whereas £70,000 was invested in the main factory in 1919 with the aim of increasing production to 40 to 50 2-ton trucks per week.
[10] Guy Motors were one of the first companies to get back to commercial vehicle production after the war, and in March 1920 they were expanding the buildings and plant on their 60-acre site, and had £2.5 million in orders.
This design allowed passengers to enter buses in a single step and became extremely popular, Guy receiving an order for 170 from Rio de Janeiro alone.
[9] Owen Silvers, the general manager of Wolverhampton Corporation, had pushed Guys to develop the 3-axle bus, and took delivery of the first production vehicle.
[9] Exports served as a major source of income for Guy with sales to South Africa, Pakistan, India and the Netherlands, their armoured vehicles proving particularly popular for covering difficult terrain, with 100 supplied to the Indian government in 1928.
[3] The Wall Street Crash had a crippling effect on industry and the subsequent recession meant that Guy could no longer afford to fit out Star's Bushbury plant and, in 1932, that company entered receivership.
[14] Despite performing well throughout the decade, by the end of the 1920s Guy was facing an uncertain future, due to the expensive takeover of Star and the Wall Street Crash, which had seen its share prices fall from one pound to one shilling (5p).
[3] Guy was able to endure the Depression due to orders from the War Office and by taking advantage of the 1930 Road Traffic Act which encouraged the development of lighter vehicles.
[16] In 1933, the Arab bus chassis, designed for use with diesel engines, was launched and would prove a mainstay of Guy's success for the next twenty years.
[17][a] This new development made armoured vehicles much safer and is reported to have eventually saved the British government £100 million pounds, earning Guy a commendation from the Royal Commission.
Car and commercial vehicle production in the UK virtually ceased during the war and buses were wearing out, being damaged and destroyed.
[19] The company's contribution to the war effort established it as a leading supplier for the government and meant financial stability when heading into the post-war years.
[21] Guy continued to update their old models, introducing a new version of the Otter chassis in 1950 for 30-seater vehicles and 84 were ordered by London Transport.
Launched in 1958, the Wulfrunian included many innovations in its design, but, crucially, lacked the thorough testing necessary before marketing it, resulting in it failing to deliver the reliability upon which Guy had built its name.
[23] Although new designs such as the Warrior Mark II were being produced and despite the fact that their lorry division was performing well, by 1960, Guy faced seemingly insurmountable financial problems.
For example, AEC AV505, Leyland O.401, Gardner 6LXB, Cummins NH180/NTK265 and Rolls-Royce Eagle 220/265 were popular choices dependent on Gross Vehicle Weight.
[27] Guy Motors was able to postpone closure, in part due to the success of its Big J range, because it was one of the few companies owned by British Leyland operating at a profit.
Nevertheless, in 1981, Leyland took the debatable decision to close the Fallings Park plant, as part of a rationalisation drive and, in August 1982, the doors were shut at the cost of 740 jobs.
