Jaguar ArtworkFrom the Gallery |
The Big J
A contemporary letter from the joint shop stewards of Guy Motors to Mr Robert Edwards – MP for Wolverhampton, South East – conveys the sense of disappointment and incredulity at the decision to close the plant, the details of which can be read at hansard.millbanksystems.com It could be said the part of the problem faced by the Leyland group was the introduction of the bus grant by the government, designed to encourage operators to modernise their fleet. This grant favoured the rear-engined vehicles over the more traditional bus chassis favoured by many operators, and, as Leyland had three – the Arab V, the Regent V and the Leyland Titan – in its stable, it simply discontinued production of all except the rear-engined Fleetline and Atlantean models.
|
Upcoming EventsFeatured Events
2009 Surrey Jag Day
Date: Sunday July 19th |
When Jaguar Cars Ltd
bought Guy Motors (Europe) Ltd in 1961 a programme of partial rationalisation was begun. The then-current ranges of Otter, Warrior, and Invincible goods
vehicles acquired a common cab design, and many common mechanical components.
By 1964 the company had
developed a completely new range of trucks, the Big J models. The Big J was designed around a new Cummins 
In 1968, when BMH became
part of British Leyland, the Big J continued in production – the J being replaced in 1971 by the Leyland logo of the period – until 1978 when it was phased
out together with several similar models produced under the Leyland badge.
In 1982, faced with overcapacity within the Leyland group, Guy Motors (who individually suffered no such problems) were closed down
and the factory was shut, further adding to the increasing levels of unemployment in Wolverhampton. SOme production transferred to the Farington plant in
Lancashire, where the Victory chassis continued to be built there until 1986, when the Guy marque finally disappeared into history.
