William Vincent Ltd.

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William Vincent
Vincent's of Reading
legal form Limited Company
founding 1805
resolution ?
Seat Reading , UK
Branch Body shop

William Vincent Ltd. (also: Vincents of Reading or Vincent's of Reading ) was a British wheelwright who initially made carriages and in the 20th century superstructures for commercial vehicles and luxury automobiles. The company's customers were predominantly members of the landed gentry in southern England.

Company history

Body Austin 12 taxi from Vincent's of Reading

The in Reading ( county Berkshire ) based company was founded in 1805th Vincent produced horse-drawn carriages in the 19th century, but also accessories for agriculture. Vincent's most successful products have been horse transporters with standard truck chassis since the turn of the century .

For the affluent clientele outside the British capital, the company also offered automobile bodies at an early stage. The first body was built in 1899, seven years later Vincent dressed the first Rolls-Royce . The clientele and the position of the company are described in the literature as follows:

The clientele was provincial upper class and minor aristocracy who wanted a landaulet, Limousine or Saloon that reflected their Station in life, and this is what Vincent gave them.

“The customers were the upper class from the provinces and the lower nobility. They wanted a landaulet, limousine or closed car that would reflect their position in life, and that's what Vincent gave them . "

In terms of style, the Vincent bodies differed from the bodies of London manufacturers. Vincent also often used wood for the exterior cladding. The design cited the side wood paneling of Vincent's horse transporters. The interiors of automobiles were often lavishly furnished. The company's specialties included inlay work in the passenger compartment.

In the early 1930s, interest in such structures waned. Vincent did not change his direction and decided against adapting the style or expanding into the field of large-scale production. Instead, in the last few years before the outbreak of World War II , the company increasingly manufactured commercial vehicle bodies and horse transporters. Even after the end of the war Vincent still offered automobile bodies, but demand fell sharply. In the mid-1950s, the body shop was given up.

literature

Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 .

Web links

Commons : Vincent's of Reading  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 .