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Rootes Group

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Rootes Motors Limited
(commonly Rootes Group)
Limited
IndustrieAutomotive industry
FateAcquired by Chrysler Corporation
SuccessorChrysler Europe, later Peugeot
Foonditbusiness —1913
FoonderWilliam and Reginald Rootes
DefunctMarque defunct 1971
HeidquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Nummer o locations
London, Ryton, Linwuid, Renfrewshire,
Area served
UK and worldwide
Key fowk
Rootes brothers
ProductsCars and commercial vehicles and related services
SubsidiariesRootes Limited and
(60 per cent owned) Humber holding: Commer, Hillman, Karrier, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot

The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited wis a Breetish automobile manufacturer an, separately a major motor distributors an dealers business. Run frae Lunnon's West End thay war respectively based in the Midlands an sooth o England. In the decade beginnin 1928 the Rootes brothers, William an Reginald, made prosperous by thair very successfu distribution an servicing business, war keen tae enter manufacturing for closer control o the products thay war selling. Ane brither haes been termed the power unit, the ither the steering an braking seestem.[1]

Wi the financial support o Prudential Assurance, the twa brothers bought some well-kent Breetish motor manufacturers, includin Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot, Commer an Karrier controlling them throu thair parent, Rootes' 60-per-cent-owned subsidiary, Humber Limited.

At its heicht in 1960, Rootes haed manufacturing plants in the Midlands at Coventry an Birmingham, in soothren England at Acton, Luton an Dunstable, an a brand-new plant in the wast o Scotland at Linwuid. Frae its offices in Devonshire House, Piccadilly, in London it controlled exports an internaitional distribution for Rootes an ither motor manufacturers an its ain local distribution an service operations in London, Kent, Birmingham an Manchester. Thare war assembly plants in nine countries ootside the UK.

Rootes Group wis unner-capitalised an unable tae survive industrial relations problems an losses frae the 1963 introduction o a new aluminium-engined smaw car, the Hillman Imp. By mutual agreement, frae mid-1964, Rootes Motors wis taken ower in stages by Chrysler Corporation, which bought control frae the Rootes faimily in 1967. By the end o 1978 the last o the various elements o Chrysler UK haed been sauld tae Peugeot an Renault.[2]

References

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  1. Coventry Standard 29 June 1956
  2. Motor-Cars, The Times, Tuesday, 3 May 1927; pg. 2; Issue 44571