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Sir Leonard Lord Retires

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10th November 1961

Page 75

Page 75, 10th November 1961 — Sir Leonard Lord Retires

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Mr. G. W. Harriman New B.M.C. Chairman

k T a board meeting of the British Motor Corporation on Tuesday, Sir eonard Lord resigned the executive tairmanship of B.M.C.; he felt that on aching the age of 65 it was fitting for m to take this step. Accepting his :cision with great regret, the directors ere pleased to announce that Sir eonard had agreed to remain on the lard as a non-executive director and to :come vice-president of the Corporation. he president is Lord Nuffield.

At the same board meeting, Mr. G. W. [arriman, who for five years has been :puty chairman and managing director [-B.M.C. was appointed chairman, and mains managing director.

A champion of private enterprise, Sir eonard has strongly influenced the :velopment of the British motor industry 'ter the past 40 years, especially in his tpacity as a production engineer. He as a prime initiator of the merger of ruffield and Austin in 1952, and it was rgely due to his energy and foresight iat B.M.C. production expanded from 76,758 vehicles in that year to 669,000 1960; present additions to capacity rovide for a total of 1,000,000 units inually.

His association with the companies hich eventually merged to become the .M.C. started in 1921 when he joined le Hotchkiss Engine Co.. acquired soon 'terwards by William Morris, now Lord fuffield. Leonard Lord's drive and talent 41 to his being given the task of reorganing Wolseley Motors and, this successilly completed, he was made managing irector of Morris Motors, Ltd., controlng also Wolseley and M.G.

In ,1937, at the age of 40, he wa's ,pointed manager of the Nuffield Trust nSpecial Areas, putting his efforts into mbitious development schemes princially in South Wales and Northumber land. A year later he became works director of the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., and on the death of Lord Austin in 1941 he became deputy chairman, and in 1945 chairman of the board and managing director, oi the Austin company. In 1952 came the Austin-Nuffield merger, and later in the same year Leonard Lord succeeded Lord Nuffield as chairman of the newly formed B.M.C. Two years later he received a knighthood for his services to industry, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Mr. George William Harriman, who succeeds Sir Leonard, has worked closely with him for many years. He began his engineering career at the Hotchkiss Works of Morris Motors in 1923, had become assistant works superintendent there by 1938 and in 1940 joined Austin as machine shop superintendent. He was appointed production manager four years later, and in 1945 .general works manager and director.

In 1952 he became deputy managing director of B.M.C. Awarded an O.B.E. in 1943, Mr. Harriman received a C.B.E. in 1951.