Swallow Sidecar Company
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The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded on the 4th September 1922 by William Walmsley in Blackpool, England to make motor cycle sidecars. In 1921 he was joined by the 20 year old William Lyons who had served his apprenticeship with Crossley Motors in Manchester.
In 1926 they moved into the car coachwork business, and changed the company name to Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Company, [1] when they rebodied a Talbot. This was well received and encouraged them to move on to other cars especially the Austin 7 but also Fiats, Standards and Swifts. In 1927 the sidecar was dropped from the name, and it became the Swallow Coachbuilding Company.[2]
The increase in business made it increasingly necessary to be nearer the centre of the British car industry so in 1928 they moved to Holbrook Lane, Coventry. At the same time William Walmsley who was older than William Lyons decided to retire. Business continued to grow and in 1929 the company was sufficiently confident to go to the expense of taking a stand at the London Motor Show.
More bodies for different chassis were produced in 1930 but for the 1931 show they had the SS1 now on an exclusive chassis specially made by Standard. This was the car that led to the company being reformed as SS Cars Ltd in 1934, eventually becoming Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1945.
Sidecar production was now by Swallow Coachbuilding Co. (1935) Ltd. of Albion Road, Birmingham, 11. [3]
At the end of 1945, the Helliwell Group, an aircraft maintenance firm, bought the name and goodwill of the now defunct Swallow side car manufacturer, Swallow Coachbuilding Company (1935) Ltd, from SS Cars Limited. Sidecars produced at Helliwells' Walsall Airport works were built in the same way as the originals and used the same patented trademark.[4] They closed shop in the late 1950s.
