Men Worth Knowing.
Page 6
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Mr. Herbert Austin—the " Latest " British Manufacturer.
here are few men better known in the motor industry than the subject of our sketch. We may add, without fear of contradiction, that it is hard to find many who are equally respected. Untiring in his application to work, unswerving in his loyalty to the cause he has at heart, sound to the core as a mechanical engineer of proved worth, a past master in successful ‘vorks organisation, and a glutton for output these are some of the admirable qualities which characterise Mr. Herbert Austin. He was born at Buckingham in 1866, and, at the age of 17, went to Australia with an uncle, who apprenticed him to the engineering trade. Ten years of his life were spent in the atmosphere of a new Colony--an environment which seldom fails to inspire self-reliance. This experience may also be regarded as the foundation of Mr_ Austin's original ideas, of which quite a number have found expression in valuable inventions, as much as it may be credited with the conferment of the necessary pluck to carry a conception to successful execution, Sheep shearing by machinery was the first branch of activity to which Mr. Austin devoted his talents he joined Mr. 'Wolseley, who was endeavouring to persuade squatters to replace the old-fashioned shear. It is only possible for those who have experience of the severe conditions under which machinery must work, tor successful application in the sheep shearing industry, to realise the difficulties that had to be surmounted. Several improvements, which the engineer who was destined to show the first really good year's return in the British motor industy still modestly refers to as being of a minor nature, were introduced; but defective manufacture in England interfered with progress in Australia. The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Co., of Sydney, New South Wales, as a result of these annoying imperfections in home production, sent Mr. Austin to Birmingham, early in the year 1891, in order that he might superintend the actual manufacture of the machines. That is how he came to take up his residence in the capital of the Midlands, where his name and achievements are household words in both trade and engineering circles. The growth from a bare superintendence of others' methods to the establishment of a Wolseley works was a natural development : it resulted, principally, from Mr. Austin's inability to obtain material and workmanship that came up to his high standards. He began his own company's factory, on a small scale at first, and gradually introduced additions, until he was making practically the whole of the Wolseley machinery. It was then found, by reason of the fluctuations in orders for the sheep shearing trade, which varies with the seasons, that sufficient steady work for a fairly large staff was not procurable during the winter months. Machine tools were, accordingly, added to the business in 1894, and motor vehicles in 1898. The latter proposition had been simmering in Mr. Austin's mind since 1894—the date of the original Paris-Bordeaux race organised by " Le Petit Journal "—and he had built several experimental cars during the intervening period. The first Wolseley car to make a public appearance was driven
through the 1,000-mile trial of the A.C.G.B. and I. by Mr. Austin, and we well remember meeting him on that occasion. The gentleman who introduced niin made the truly prophetic observation—" You mark that man : he will make a big name for himself in the motor world." The encouraging performance of the motorcar named brought in enquiries and business to such an extent that the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Co. was unable to cope with the demand; hence the decision to dispose of this branch to some more powerful concern. No company larger and more influential than Vickers, Sons, and Maxim, Ltd., could well be imagined for the purpose in view, and we feel sure that the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Co. did a good stroke of business, early in 1901, when Mr. Austin, with the assistance of some friends, disposed of the motorcar and tool section. The new organisation was styled the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co., Ltd., of Adderley Park, Birmingham, whilst Mr, Herbert Austin became engineer and general in a nager, We need only to remind our readers of the Wolseley triumph at the 1901 reliability trials, which took place under the control of the A.C.G.B. and I. in connection with the Glasgow International Exhibition, when two gold medals were the reward of Mr. Austin's skill and judgment. He was responsible throughout for the management of affairs, and for 4 years he ably discharged the onerous duties of his position. It is not too much to say that his interest in the operations at Addertey Park led him to sacrifice everything else for the sake of gaining an ideal. His object was to place his company at the head of the motor industry. We are justified in saying, as a few obiter scrifria, that nobody feels more keenly disappointed than Mr. Austin at the severance that has followed his disagreement with the views of his late directors. It should not be forgotten that Mr. Austin has, during the last five years, continued in office as a director of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Co.'s business, for he has controlled its technical policy ab initio. This company has become the practical monopolist of the trade in question, chiefly by reason of Mr. Austin's patents, and his mastery of the motor industry should benefit him equally now that he has started to build motor vehicles on his own account.
Mr. Austin is only in his 39th year. He is a founder of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a member of the A.C.G.B. and I., chairman of committee of the British Empire Motor Trades Alliance, and past president of the Automobile and Cycle Engineers' Institute. His views on commercial motoring subjects are so closely in agreement with our own that we do not need to enumerate them, and we look forward with interest to the appearance of the new motor omnibuses, which will be his first independent contribution to the commercial side.
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