Leyland

In 1896 James Sumner and Henry Spurrier set up The Lancashire Steam Motor Co to build 30cwt steam vans. In 1904 the first petrol-engined vehicle, 'the Pig', was made, and in 1905, the first Leyland bus was sold to London. In 1907 Preston srteam wagon maker Coulthards was acquired and the firm was reorganised as Leyland Motors Ltd. In 1912 the three ton RAF-type subsidy lorry was launched. After the Great War Leyland took over Sopwith's Kingston-upon-Thames aircraft factory to refurbish ex-WD RAF-types, then built Trojan cars and Cub commercial vehicles there. Some Leylands had animal names: Lion, Lioness, Llama, Leveret, Tiger, Terrier, Badger, Beaver, Bull, Bison, Buffalo, Hippo, Rhino, Octopus and Cub, and others were giants: Leviathan, Titan and Titanic. The range spread to include diesel engines, trolleybuses, fire appliances, then tanks in wartime. rnPostwar models included the Comet, as well as some of the prewar animals. Truck cabs included the Vista-Vue LAD and the Ergonomic cab of 1964. Advanced bus designs included the Atlantean from 1958. A new Leyland T range of trucks was headed by the T45, but a collapse in sales led to the division of the truck and bus sides of the business, ready for sale. The bus company went to a management buyout, then it was sold to Volvo. In 1987 Leyland Trucks was merged with DAF of the Netherlands to form Leyland DAF.