Armstrong Siddeley in Advertising
Hostilities over, and thanks to four years of war work Siddeley Deasy had expanded tenfold. When the inevitable diminishing of government contracts followed, how to find employment for 5000 workers became, as for other large manufacturers, a headache. The ever astute John Siddeley had turned his mind to the problem some time previously.
In early 1918 he quietly imported a Marmon 34 car from the USA in order to discover how the war free American car market had developed. He also heard good reports concerning the car as it was being used by the French government. This vehicle was closely followed in the design of the 30hp one model car which was to be manufactured by the coming together of the Siddeley Deasy and Armstrong Whitworth companies which led in October 1919 to the formation of Armstrong Siddeley Motors Ltd. The bold statements in the last advertisement we considered could now be made reality.
This was also the year when Ernest Siddeley, John's second eldest son:
was sent on a fact finding mission to America. Pages from his pocket note book reveal the scope of his mission.
Note the visit to the Kelsey Wheel company (line ten) which would influence the type of detachable wheel disc fitted to Armstrong Siddeley cars. A rigid ,light and robust design which became a standard feature for the next twenty years.
It is remarkable that at the October 1919 Olympia Motor Show, on Stand 72, the company were able to show the new car, as a polished chassis, a tourer, a Limousine, Landaulette and Saloon Double Phaeton as in the artists recreation above.
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