Jowett

Jowett was a car manufacturer that produced small and light cars in a factory in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, between 1906 and 1954. The brand was founded in 1901 by the brothers Benjamin (1877–1963) and William (1880–1965) Jowett and Arthur V. Lamb. They started with a bicycle factory and later switched to producing engines for machines. Some of those engines ended up in cars as replacement engines. In 1904, the company was renamed “the Jowett Motor Manufacturing Company” in Bradford. The first Jowett car was built in 1906 but did not go into production until 1910.

The intention was to build a lightweight vehicle at a low price and with low operating costs. The prototype can be described as England's first true light car. The engine and gearbox were specifically designed for a light car and largely manufactured from aluminium. The construction of the engine and the rest of the car was robust. The car quickly became popular.

In 1919, a new factory was purchased at Springfield, outside Bradford, on a former quarry, and in 1920 the first vehicle rolled out of the factory: the Jowett Seven. Commercial vehicles were also built based on the chassis of this Jowett Seven. In 1921, the model was presented at the London Auto Show and received more than local attention.

Jowett 3G from 1933

In 1934, the Jowett Falcon was launched with a four-speed gearbox. The first four-cylinder car followed in 1936 with the 1166 cc twin-carburetor Jowett Ten, which remained in production until the outbreak of the war alongside the traditional two-cylinder models.

Jowett Kestrell from 1934

Jowett and the Second World War

Car production ceased in 1940, but the production of engines, aircraft parts, and other military equipment continued. In addition to its use in generators, the engine was also used in the Jowett engine-driven fire pump present. The company was purchased by real estate developer Charles Clore in 1945, and he sold it again in 1947, this time to the Lazard Brothers, who were bankers.

When production restarted after World War II, the two-cylinder engine was discontinued. The new cars represented a major change from the earlier models with the arrival of the streamlined Jowett Javelin, designed by a team led by Gerald Palmer. This model featured advanced functions such as a flat-four push-rod engine and independent front suspension with torsion bars front and rear. The car reached a top speed of 130 km/h and had excellent handling. In 1950, the Javelin was joined by the Jowett Jupiter Sport, featuring a chassis designed by Eberan von Eberhorst, who had worked for Auto Union.

Poor business strategy and vision, combined with overconfidence, led to the downfall of the financially sound company. The collapse of the provisions for parts led to the suspension of Javelin production in 1953. Jupiters were built until the end of 1954.