The Rise And Fall Of Leyland.

1958 Leyland Titan.

Leyland Motors, one of the most famous names in British vehicle manufacture. Leyland town was home to Leyland Motors once the 5th largest producer of trucks and buses in the world.

James Sumner (1860-1924) was the founder of what eventually became Leyland Motors. He created a steam lawnmower which secured a first prize and silver medal at the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show. By the end of 1896 the first steam vehicle was produced, and by 1899 the first passenger carrying vehicles were offered for sale.

1896 Lancashire Steam Motor Co. (Leyland) Steam Van.

In 1902, with sales of buses rising and the workforce numbering in excess of 150.
In the begining of 20th century Lancashire Steam Motor Co. changed name to 'Leyland'.

By 1906 the Company had built its own engine and began to market it. The first recorded demonstration bus was also built in this year. Bodied by Milnes-Voss it seated 40 and had a forward spiralling staircase that extended over the engine.

1907 Leyland-X.

The first successful petrol-engined vehicle was built, called Leyland-X.
In 1912 the War Office held trials to determine which vehicles would qualify for a war subsidy. Vehicles were arranged in two classes, 1.3 and 3 tons. Leylands were the only ones capable of gaining certificates in both classes. The War Office ordered 88 chassis and proved a great boost for sales and reputation.

In 1913 a new site was built at Farington, just north of Leyland, for the increasing volume of work. In 1915 the entire production reached 6000 lorries.

1925 Leyland bus in Moscow.

1924 Leyland C7.

In the begining of 1920s Leyland buses were using 36-40hp engine and could accommodate 28 or 33 passengers.

1923 Leyland LB bus. LB - London Bus.

London General, the largest London bus operator, purchased almost all Leyland LB (London Bus) vehicles. The LB bus was the first model and sold well to independent operators in London.

1924 Leyland LB bus.

By the end of 1934 all-metal bodywork was offered as standard to customers, and proved to be more robust and longer lasting than traditional timber-framed bodywork.

By the end of the decade operators were looking for bodywork that could be used for stage carriage work during the week and for excursion or express duties at the weekend and this led to the development of the ‘dual-purpose’ body, intermediate between standard saloon and luxury coach.

1937 Leyland Titan bus.

In 1937, 100 Leyland Titan TD4s were delivered to the London Passenger Transport Board where they formed Leyland’s first large-scale London order since the early part of the century. They earned perfect reputation for silence and operating smoothness.

Leyland Gnu.

The infamous ‘Gnu’ also made its appearance at the 1937 Commercial Motor Show, but its twin steering did not find favour with operators and only 8 in total were built.

In 1941 the Government ordered Leyland Motors to stop production of all passenger chassis and concentrate on military vehicles.

1939-1945 Leyland Retriever truck.

The post-war years saw a massive recovery of civil automotive production in the Great Britain. The 1950s mark an expansion of Leyland Motors, and the company became a major supplier to international markets.

1957 Leyland Tiger bus pictured in New Zealand.

In 1968 Leyland Motors merged with British Motor Holdings to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC). This group was difficult to manage because of the many companies under its control, often making similar products.

1975 Leyland Leopard bus.

In 1975 BLMC was nationalised as British Leyland and split into 4 divisions with the bus and truck production becoming the Leyland Trucks.

1978 Leyland Leopard bus.

In 1998 Leyland Trucks was acquired by the American company Paccar and currently produces 3 model lines of trucks for North America, Europe and Brazil.