Henry Spurrier

Sir Henry Spurrier (1898–1964) was a British engineer and industrialist, and the third generation of the Spurrier family to head Leyland Motors.

Biography

Spurrier's grandfather, also Henry, was one of the two Spurrier brothers who founded a company in 1896 to produce steam powered, and later petrol powered, commercial vehicles. The company was renamed "Leyland Motors" in 1907. In 1919 Spurrier's father, another Henry, took charge of the company.

Spurrier (Henry III) started working life as an apprentice in his grandfather's firm. During World War I he was a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps.

Immediately after the war Spurrier involved himself in car development, working with the chief engineer at "Leyland Motors", J.G. Parry-Thomas and with his assistant Reid Railton. They produced a luxury touring car the Leyland Eight, with which they intended to compete with Rolls-Royce. It was exhibited at the 1920 London motor show, only eight however, were ever built.

After his father's death, Spurrier progressed to become Managing Director of "Leyland Motors" in 1949.

Spurrier was knighted in 1955. Under his leadership "Leyland Motors" acquired Standard Triumph in 1961 and the newly enlarged company became the "Leyland Motor Corporation" (LMC), and a car producer once again.

Spurrier died in 1964 and Donald Stokes took over as head of LMC.

References

*cite book
author = King, Peter
title = The Motor Men: Pioneers of the British Car Industry
publisher = Quiller Press
id = ISBN 1-870948-23-8

*cite web
title = Leyland
url = http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=558
work = British Motor Manufacturers
accessdate = 2006-06-20

*cite web
title = John Godfrey Parry Thomas
url = http://www.bluebird-electric.net/parry_thomas.htm
accessdate = 2006-06-20