Vickerswas a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed inSheffieldas a steelfoundrybyEdward Vickersand his father-in-law, and soon became famous for castingchurch bells.The company went public in 1867, acquired more businesses, and began branching out into military hardware and shipbuilding.

Vickers
IndustryEngineering
Founded1828
FounderEdward Vickers
Defunct1999
FateAcquired
SuccessorRolls-Royce plc
HeadquartersLondon, England
ProductsAircraft
Armaments
Ships
SubsidiariesMetropolitan-Vickers

In 1911, the company expanded intoaircraft manufactureand opened a flying school. They expanded even further into electrical and railway manufacturing, and in 1928 acquired an interest in theSupermarine.[1]

Beginning in the 1960s, various parts of the company were nationalised, and in 1999 the rest of the company was acquired byRolls-Royce plc,who sold the defence arm toAlvis plc.The Vickers name lived on in Alvis Vickers, until the latter was acquired by BAE Systems in 2004 to formBAE Systems Land Systems.

History

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Early history

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Vickers was formed inSheffieldas a steelfoundrybyEdward Vickersand his father-in-lawGeorge Naylorin 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and Vickers' brother William owned a steel rolling operation. Edward's investments in the railway industry allowed him to gain control of the company, based atMillsandsand known as Naylor Vickers and Company. It began by making steel castings and quickly became famous for castingchurch bells.In 1854 Vickers' sons Thomas (amilitiaofficer known familiarly as 'Colonel Tom') andAlbert[la]joined the business and their considerable talents – Tom Vickers as a metallurgist and Albert as a team-builder and salesman – were key to its subsequent rapid development. "Its great architects," the historian Clive Trebilcock writes, "Colonel T.E. (1833–1915) and Albert (1838–1919) Vickers... providedbothinspired technical leadership... and equally astute commercial direction. Both men were autocrats by temperament, but neither shunned advice or avoided delegation; each, but particularly Albert, had a marked gift for the selection of talented subordinates. "[2]

In 1863 the company moved to a new site in Sheffield on theRiver DoninBrightside.

Vickers, Sons & Company

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The company went public in 1867 as Vickers, Sons & Company and gradually acquired more businesses, branching out into various sectors. In 1868 Vickers began to manufacture marine shafts, in 1872 they began casting marinepropellersand in 1882 they set up aforgingpress. They were also supplying steel forgings for gun barrel manufacturers, including their future main competitor Armstrong, as early as 1870.[3]

After a decline in lucrative tool steel demand in the US during the first half of 1880s, the stockholders logically decided in spring 1887 to diversify into large-scale armaments production and approved£1.5 million (1887) (equivalent to£172.83 million orUS$220.6 million in 2019)[4]capital increase.[3]By the end of 1888 Vickers produced and tested both their first artillery piece and firstarmour plate.[3]The time could have never been more fortunate, with theNaval Defence Act 1889significantly increasing the domestic demand and the invention ofnickel steelarmour rendering obsolete and worthless the investments of established producers intocompound armour.[3]

Vickers, Sons & Maxim

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Vickers, Sons & Maxim's Naval Construction Works (c. 1900)
Name plate: Vickers, Sons & Maxim
Wolseley Siddeley

Vickers bought out theBarrow-in-Furnessshipbuilder The Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1897, acquiring its subsidiary theMaxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company[5]at the same time, to become Vickers, Sons & Maxim.

Ordnance and ammunition made during this period, includingWorld War I,was stamped V.S.M.

The yard at Barrow became the "Construction Yard". With these acquisitions, Vickers could now produce a complete selection of products, from ships and marine fittings to armour plate and a whole suite of ordnance. In 1901 theRoyal Navy's first submarine,Holland 1,was launched at the Naval Construction Yard. In 1902 Vickers took a half share in the famousClydeshipyardJohn Brown & Company.

Further diversification occurred in 1901 with the acquisition ofa proposed businesswhich was incorporated asThe Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Companyand in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car. In 1911 a controlling interest was acquired intorpedomanufacturerWhitehead & Company.

Vickers Limited

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1914 advertisement inJane'spresenting Vickers broad naval capabilities

In 1911 the company name was changed to Vickers Ltd and expanded its operations intoaircraft manufactureby the formation of Vickers Ltd (Aviation Department) and a Vickers School of Flying was opened atBrooklands,Surrey on 20 January 1912. In 1919, theBritish Westinghouseelectrical company was taken over as theMetropolitan Vickers Electrical Company;Metrovick. At the same time they came into Metropolitan's railway interests.

Reorganisation

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A reorganisation during 1926 led to the retention of the rolling stock group: Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Company and The Metropolitan -Vickers Company and the disposal of: Vickers-Petters Limited, British Lighting and Ignition Company, the Plywood department at Crayford Creek, Canadian Vickers, William Beardmore and Co, and Wolseley Motors.[6]

Merger with Armstrong Whitworth

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In 1927, Vickers merged withTynesidebased engineering companyArmstrong Whitworthto becomeVickers-Armstrongs.Armstrong Whitworth had developed along similar lines to Vickers, expanding into various military sectors and was notable for their artillery manufacture atElswickand shipbuilding at a yard atHigh Walkeron theRiver Tyne.Armstrongs shipbuilding interests became the "Naval Yard", those of Vickers on the west coast the "Naval Construction Yard".Armstrong Whitworth Aircraftwas not absorbed by the new company.

In 1928, the Aviation Department became Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and soon after acquiredSupermarine,which became the "Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd". In 1938, both companies were re-organised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. 1929 saw the merger of the acquired railway business with those ofCammell Lairdto formMetropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon.

Nationalisation

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In 1960, the aircraft interests were merged with those of theBristol,English ElectricandHunting Aircraftto form theBritish Aircraft Corporation(BAC). This was owned by Vickers, English Electric and Bristol (holding 40%, 40% and 20% respectively). BAC in turn owned 70% of Hunting. The Supermarine operation was closed in 1963 and the Vickers name for aircraft was dropped in 1965. Under the terms of theAircraft and Shipbuilding Industries ActBAC was nationalised in 1977 to become part ofBritish Aerospace,which exists today in the guise ofBAE Systems.

The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act also led to the nationalisation of Vickers' shipbuilding division as part ofBritish Shipbuilders.These had been renamed Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders in 1955, changing again to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group in 1968. This division was privatised asVickers Shipbuilding & Engineeringin 1986, later part ofGEC'sMarconi Marine. It remains in operation to this day asBAE Systems Submarines.

Vickers plc

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The Vickers works inCross Gates,Leeds

With their steelworking operations also nationalised intoBritish Steel Corporationthe remnants of Vickers becameVickers plc.In 1986, Vickers acquired the armaments manufacturerRoyal Ordnance Factory,Leeds,which became Vickers Defence Systems. Other acquisitions included automotive engineersCosworthin 1990,waterjetmanufacturerKamewain 1986 and Norwegian marine propulsion and engineering companyUlsteinin 1998. 1998 also saw the sale of Rolls-Royce Motors and Cosworth toVolkswagen Groupfor £430 million, beating outBMW's offer of £340 million.

Current status of Vickers

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In 1927, Vickers merged with the Tyneside-based engineering firm Armstrong Whitworth to form Vickers-Armstrongs. Armstrong Whitworth developed in a similar way to Vickers, expanding into various military fields and became famous for its artillery construction at Elswick and shipbuilding at its yard at High Walker upon Tyne. In 1928, the Aviation Department changed its name to Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and shortly afterwards acquired Supermarine, which became 'Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd'. In 1938, the two companies were reorganised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. In 1929, the acquired railway business was merged with that of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon.

1.6 Fifth change of the company After the Second World War Vickers-Armstrongs manufactured commercial aircraft. In 1959 it introduced the VC10 jet aircraft and in the same year the government forced a merger with Bristol Aeroplane Company, English Electric and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Alongside the achievements of BAC, the Hawker Siddeley Group were also experiencing success with the likes of the Hawker Harrier 'Jump Jet' and Hawker Siddeley Trident passenger aircraft. The two companies competed side by side for contracts throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, until the British Government expressed a desire for the two entities to merge. Finally, on 29 April 1977, the two companies were finally nationalised and a new company, British Aerospace Plc, emerged. The rail business acquired by Vickers was sold to Alstom in 1989.

See also

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Citations

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  1. ^Wragg, David W. (1973).A Dictionary of Aviation(first ed.). Osprey. p. 274.ISBN9780850451634.
  2. ^Trebilcock, Clive.The Vickers Brothers: Armaments and Enterprise 1854–1914.London: Europa Publications, 1977 pp. 27, 33, 35, 43, 45–8, 127–9.
  3. ^abcdWarren, Kenneth (1989).Armstrongs of Elswick: Growth In Engineering And Armaments To The Merger With Vickers.Palgrave Macmillan UK.ISBN978-0-333-49759-3.
  4. ^United KingdomGross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow theMeasuringWorth"consistent series" supplied inThomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2018)."What Was the U.K. GDP Then?".MeasuringWorth.Retrieved2 February2020.
  5. ^"Submarine Heritage Centre".Archived fromthe originalon 4 July 2007.Retrieved22 February2013.
  6. ^City NotesThe Times,30 April 1927; p. 18; issue 44569.

Further reading

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  • Anon (1898),Vickers, Sons and Maxim Limited: Their Works and Manufactures,"Engineering", London
  • Beynon, Huw & Wainwright, Hilary “The Workers’ Report on Vickers” (Pluto Press, London 1979)
  • Evans, Harold.Vickers: Against the Odds 1956–1977(1978)
  • Grant, Jonathan A. Grant,Between Depression and Disarmament: The International Armaments Business, 1919–1939(Cambridge UP, 2018).Online review
  • Richardson, Alex (1902),Vickers Sons and Maxim Ltd: Their Works and Manufactures,Ships, Guns, Engines etc. Offices of Engineering, 35 and 36, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C., London; illustrated with 70 engravings (photo engravings)
  • Scott, J. D. (1962),Vickers: A History,Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London
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