Paul Jolly: Britain's forgotten heritage of car design

British car manufacturing is littered with inventive entrepreneurial designers like no other country.

Alec Issigonis (Mini) Colin Chapman (Lotus) William Lyons (Jaguar) Donald Healey (Austin Healey) not forgetting Messrs Rolls and Royce, W.O.Bentley, John Cooper, Peter Morgan, William Towns, Frazer-Nash, the list goes on.

Many early manufacturers started out making bicycles and then motorbikes, turning their skills to motor cars as the 20th century progressed with Singer being a perfect example. To enhance their sales, motor racing soon became the way to promote the product. ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ being a famous saying of the time. 

Italy, Germany and France became competitive automotive manufacturers in the 1930’s and participated in motor racing for exactly the same reason. If you consider the recent Formula 1 teams by name, you soon realise nothing has changed. Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Mercedes, Honda, Aston Martin and now even Cadillac. 

Perhaps only Italy has come close to our design and build flair with brands such as Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and of course, Ferrari. But for sheer numbers of individuals with creative expertise and talent who fashioned the car business, no other country gets close to Britain.

Prior to WW2, Swallow Side Cars was managed by William Lyons having evolved from motorbikes to those with sidecars for passengers. After the war, he implemented designs for fast competition cars but the name SS Cars was dropped for obvious reasons, and Jaguar Cars was formed.

Most Jaguar cars and sportscars were designed by William Lyons himself until the 1970’s including the XJ6 but the styling of the E Type was crafted by the aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer whose aircraft skills proved so effective for the sleek 150mph supercar of 1961. 

Of all British car designs, nothing is quite like the E Type. Even Enzo Ferrari is reputed to have called it the most beautiful car he had ever seen on its unveiling at the Geneva Motor show.  I am often asked what is my favourite all time car and I find it hard to disagree with the most famous of all designers, even though he was Italian.