Armstrong Siddeley: The Parkside Story, 1896-1939 (Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Historical Series #11), 1988, 1988

Document Type: Book (Historical Study).

Purpose: Informational.

Authority: Author Expertise.

Series: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Historical Series #11.

NB: The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation are closely related. From "Rolls-Royce: The Pursuit of Excellence" (1984): "Both organisations share the history of the early days and work closely in harmony. This Historical Series of books was started by the Trust and it is intended that a series shall follow, produced by both organisations in the same format, thus building up an embracing library of true Rolls-Royce history."

Scope: History of the Armstrong Siddeley company between 1896 and 1939, written by Ray Cook, who worked for AS at the Parkside location and is a trained historian. Armstrong Siddleley built motor cars and engines, as well as aeronautical engines and many other industrial products as well. Armstrong Siddleley, and its Parkside location, was later incorporated into the Rolls Royce company.

From the Foreword: "The history of the Parkside site goes back to the turn of the century, and in those days it stood on the edge of a much smaller but highly industrialised city famous for its bicycles. The motor car was in its infancy but had already taken root in Coventry, and it was this that brought to Parkside one J.D. Siddeley. A gifted and versatile engineer, and a shrewd businessman, he soon stamped his personality on the company that was to become Armstrong Siddeley Motors. Cars were only one side of the business: in time the firm produced - with varying degrees of success - things as diverse as aero engines, cinema projectors, torpedo engines and railcars. Armstrong Siddeley engines might be found anywhere from the depths of the sea to the frontiers of space.

Today the name on the front of the factory is Rolls-Royce, as it is on others up and down the country which formerly bore other, no less famous ones. The traditions and the reputations of all these constituents contribute to the international standing of the present company, and it is right that their history be recorded while it is still relatively recent. The present book takes the story of Armstrong Siddeley Motors up to 1939, a time of change in more senses than one, and is written by one with the ideal background Ray Cook began his career at Parkside in Armstrong Siddeley days and is an established historian, being a Member of Council and a vice-President of the Railway & Canal Historical Society.

To condense forty years of sometimes turbulent history into a few thousand words is no easy task, but all essential aspects are covered. Even one well versed in Armstrong Siddeley lore will find a few surprises in these pages. Illustrations play an important part in technical history, and the author has gone to some lengths in obtaining and preparing the best possible selection. This is the first contribution from our own Coventry Branch to a growing list of publications by the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust."

Contents (list of chapters from the Table of Contents): "1. Introduction 2. The Deasy Motor Car Company. 3. The merger with Armstrong Whitworth 4. The Armstrong Siddeley Development Company 5. The formation of Hawker Siddeley Aircraft

Appendix I The aero engines... Appendix II Engines built for development or as prototypes Appendix III The cars. Appendix IV Other Armstrong Siddeley designed engines. Appendix V Genealogical table of Parkside Site to 1939 Appendix VI Historical details of other companies connected with the story of Parkside."