Guy Motors

Guy Motors was a British company based in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton that made cars, lorries and buses. They were established in 1914 by Sydney Guy who had been the Works Manager of nearby Sunbeam. The first product was a 30cwt lorry.

During World War I they made the ABC designed Wasp and Dragonfly aircraft engines, Tylor truck engines and Maudslay gearboxes as well as being the country's largest maker of depth charge fuzes.cite book
title=Sunbeam Aero-engines
last=Brew |first=Alec
date=1998
publisher=Airlife
isbn=1-84037-023-8]

After the war they decided to make luxury cars with a design by RH Rose, also from Sunbeam. This had Britain's first production V-8 of 4072 cc and featured horizontal side valves. About 25 were made. It was joined by a smaller model in 1922 with the 2465 cc four cylinder 16.9 hp. Both cars were expensive and this limited sales, especially from a relatively unknown company. A cheaper model followed in 1924 with the 1954 cc 13/36 with an engine from Coventry Climax. About 110 of the 4 cylinder models are thought to have been made. In an attempt to enter the car market further they bought the Star Motor Company in 1928 but it failed to make a profit and was closed in 1932.

They were bought out by Jaguar in 1961 and badged Guy buses ceased production in 1964. In 1966 Jaguar became part of the British Motor Holdings.

In 1968, Guy Motors became part of British Leyland Motor Corporation after the merger of British Motor Holdings and Leyland Motor Corporation.

Guy Motors' factory was closed in 1982.

Products

Cars

*20hp 1919-1923
*16.9hp 1922-1924
*13/36 1924-1925

Buses/trolleybuses

* B series
* C series
* Arab Mk I/II/III/IV/V/VI
* Arab UF/LUF
* Wolf
* Vixen
* Warrior Trambus
* Wulfrunian
* Victory

Trucks/others

* Armoured Car
* Lizard - Armoured Command Vehicle
* Ant - Truck 15cwt 4 x 2, General Service (G.S.) & Wireless (house type)
* Quad-Ant - Truck 4 x 4 Field Artillery Tractor (F.A.T.) & 15cwt G.S.
* Wolf
* Vixen
* Warrior
* Invincible
* Big J

Trivia

* China Motor Bus was the largest user of Guy buses in the world.
* No examples of the Guy Car are known to exist anywhere in the world

External links

* [http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Transport/Buses/Guy/guyhistory.htm Guy Motors history in Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society homepage]
* [http://groups.msn.com/GuyMotors A resource for all interested in Guy Motors]