Major Engineering Appointments by B.M.C.
Page 40
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
EIOLLOWING the retirement of Mr. I George Argyle, chief engineer of the commercial vehicle division of the British Motor Corporation, four major appointments have been made. Mr. Graham Ibbitson becomes chief engineer, commercial vehicles; Mr. Frank Lincoln, chief of development and experimental commercial vehicles; Mr. Ian Bedford, chief designer, heavy commercial vehicles and Mr. Leonard Poole, chief designer, light commercial vehicles.
At 31, Mr. Ibbitson is the youngesteVer man to be chief engineer within the Corporation. He was largely responsible for the design and development of the recently introduced Austin/Morris F1 truck range. A Birmingham man, Mr. Ibbitson started his career as an apprentice with Morris Commercial Cars in Birmingham. He was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to Southampton University and in 1957 returned to the industry to work closely with Mr. Argyle on both the development and design side; he was appointed chief designer for heavy commercials in July, 1963.
Mr. Lincoln also joined the motor industry with Morris Commercial Cars. In 1946 he was appointed development engineer and became chief designer, Morris Commercial Cars, in 1958, subsequently moving to the Austin Motor Company in January. 1962, as deputy chief engineer on
t h e commercial vehicle side. Another motor industry ex apprentice. M r.
Bedford started his career with an automobile engineering apprenticeship with the Austin Motor Company in 1950. He joined the newly created B.M.C. commercial vehicle experimental department in 1954 and has lately been co-ordinator of the engineerdivision of B.M.C. (Scotland).
Mr. Poole, 44, joined the staff of Joseph Lucas Ltd. after studying mechanical engineering. In 1946 he moved to the Rover Co. Ltd. where he was engaged on a number of government projects, In 1953 he joined the engineering staff of Morris Commercial Cars Ltd. at Birmingham, being first concerned with design and development of the Austin/Morris 12. He moved to Long' bridge to work on both heavy and light commercial vehicle design on the n truck -range and returned to Morris Commercial Cars in 1963 as chief chassis designer for B.M.C. light commercials.
Other appointments within the B.M.C. commercial division are; Mr. A. Moore becomes chief designer, special purpose vehicles; Mr. L. Ainsley, chief experimental engineer, light commercial and special purpose vehicles and Mr. E. P. Barrows, production and service liaison executive. Mr. H. J. Musgrove has relinquished his position as chief material controller, Austin Motor Company, on taking up an appointment as production manager, B.M.C. (Scotland) Ltd.