Biographical Data - S

Sangster, John Young ("Jack")

John Young Sangster - better known as "Jack" Sangster - was born on 29 May 1896 in Kings Norton, Birmingham and died on 26 March 1977 in London. The son of Charles Thomas Brock Sangster, an engineer considered a pioneer in bicycle and motorcycle development, was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Sussex. After graduating from high school, he began an engineering apprenticeship, which was interrupted by the First World War. During the war Sangster served in the battalion of the city of Birmingham, the 14th Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

In 1918 Sangster joined Cycle Components Ltd, whose managing director was his father. The company is known for its 'Ariel' motorcycles from 1902 onwards. Sangster designed a small, inexpensive car that he wanted to build. The car's design was later sold to ROVER, with Sangster joining ROVER to manage production of the car that became the 'ROVER Eight'.

In 1923, Sangster returned to his father's company and served as deputy managing director until 1930.

In 1932 Components Ltd went bankrupt. Sangster bought most of the company's assets from the liquidators and founded Ariel Motors (J.S.) Ltd. With the help of developers and engineers, he built the company, including men such as Edward Turner, Val Page and Bert Hopwood. Sangster developed a motorcycle with a 4 hp White and Poppe engine that was very successful in the market. Motorcycles with 586 ccm and 992 ccm followed, which established themselves as successful racing motorcycles.

Sangster seized another business opportunity in 1935/6. He bought the bankrupt Triumph Motorcycles Company for £50,000 from the liquidators and renamed it Triumph Engineering Co. Edward Turner and Bert Hopwood of Ariel were given the task of improving Triumph's product range. The 'Triumph Speed Twin' developed by Turner with its parallel twin engine was the forerunner to a series of successful 'Triumph' motorcycles.

In 1944 Sangster sold Ariel Motors (J.S.) Ltd to BSA with a good profit. And in 1951 he sold Triumph, also to BSA, for £2.5 million pounds. At the same time he joined the board of directors of BSA, becoming chairman in 1956 after a series of battles against the previous chairman, Sir Bernard Docker.

In 1961 Sangster retired as Chairman of the BSA. He was an important and leading figure in the British automotive industry.
In 1962 he refused to be elevated to the nobility and died of cancer on 26 March 1977.

Savage, (Sir) Geoffrey

Geoffrey Savage was production manager at ROVER. He was ennobled in 1952. He died in 1953.

Seale, Roland

Roland Seale is head of construction at ROVER in 1935. 1960 he is head of the design office

Searle, Frank

Frank Searle is a former Tank Corps colonel. Literature often tells us that he has no idea of automotive engineering. But this is not exactly the case: before World War I he was chief engineer of the London General Omnibus Company. The design of the famous B-type bus was written by him.
After World War I he was with Daimler before he became managing director of ROVER in 1928 (for three years). He commissions [⇒ Peter Poppe] to design a simple, medium-sized limousine with a six-cylinder engine ("Light Six").
He separates from the coachbuilder Midland Light Car Bodies of Coventry and establishes ROVER's own body shop.
In the same year he contends with [⇒ Peter Poppe], which is dismissed in September 1929.
In 1931, Searle went on a business trip to New Zealand to visit the new ROVER plant. During the journey, ROVER releases him. He retires to his country estate near Rugby.

Shaw, Frank

Frank Shaw is head of transmission development in 1957 - with [⇒ Roland Seale].

Silvester (Sylvester?), Brian

Brian Silvester (part of the literature also writes "Sylvester") is 1957 team leader for spring systems and suspension at ROVER.

Simpson, George

George Simpson is a senior executive at ROVER / Leyland. He is Managing Director at ROVER.

Sked, Gordon

Gordon Sked was a ROVER designer in the 1980s.

Skeffington, David

David Skeffington leads with [⇒ Bill Bengry] in 1962 the rally Lü ttich-Sofia-Lü ttich. They achieved 18th place in the overall ranking because they had helped a team colleague on the way and fell back.

Smith, A. B.

A. B. Smith is responsible for production and purchasing at ROVER. In 1956 he became Managing Director with [⇒ Robert Boyle]. In 1962, he was promoted to CEO.

Smith, George

George Smith beats the British 100 mile record for bicycles on the new safety cycle by 5 minutes. This is the breakthrough for the bicycle that was initially laughed at as being "unmanageable".

Smith, Harry

Harry Smith takes over the management of the ROVER Cycle Company in 1901 after the death of [⇒ John Kemp Starley]. He's much more optimistic than Starley. He reacts to the stagnating bicycle market by building cars.
1903 he wins [⇒ Edmund Lewis], which is active at Daimler , for ROVER.
Smith's goal is to transfer the successes of the mass market from the bicycle to the automobile.
1919 he buys [ ⇒ John Young Sangster' s] air-cooled 8 hp engine.
He retires in 1923.

Spurrier, Sir Henry

Sir Henry Spurrier is at Leyland Motors. He is a friend of [ ⇒ Spencer B Wilks]. Since 1945, he has been supporting ROVER's gas turbine development through Leyland. In 1966 he makes ROVER a takeover bid.

Starley, James K.

James K. Starley founded in 1861 with [⇒ Josiah Turner] the Coventry Sewing Machine Company - a sewing machine factory (no seed drill factory, as some sources claim).
He was born in Sussex in 1830, is married to Jane Todd and an uncle of [⇒ John Kemp Starley].
He starts off with an apprenticeship as a gardener, but then meets up with John Penn at the technical shipyard in Lewisham, South London. This John Penn had given his wife an expensive sewing machine, which was defective after a short time. James Starley found out the error very quickly and improved the mechanics of the machine decisively. Penn knew the manufacturer of the machine - Josiah Turner.
James Starley has been hired for his London operation.
1870 James Starley founds together with [ ⇒ William Hillman] the company Ariel Cycles.
In 1876 he obtained a patent on a tricycle, in 1877 a patent on the differential of the tricycle.
 
Further reading: Geoffrey Williams, Wheel within Wheels, London 1966 (novel about James Starley).

Starley, John Kemp

John Kemp Starley joins his uncle's bicycle factory in 1870, [⇒ James K. Starley], in Coventry.
He was born in 1855 in Walthamstow, Essex (north of London). His father is a gardener. In 1876 he married Abigail Statham, daughter of a posametry manufacturer in Coventry. The marriage gave birth to 10 children. The family lives in Spon End, 10 Gloucester Street, later in Barr's Hill House in Naul's Mill.
He is very religious and publishes the Starley Bible, where the New Testament is at the beginning of the book. He supports the Salvation Army and is president of the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association, according to the CVJM). For the Liberals, he sits in the city council.
In 1877 he founded a bicycle factory with [ ⇒ William Sutton]. He develops the "Coventry Chair", a pedal-driven wheelchair.
In 1886 he introduced his "Starley Safety Cycle" with a diamond-shaped frame, a brake to be operated from the handlebar, a rear-wheel transmission and a chain drive. First of all, the wheel is considered "impossible". The breakthrough comes after [⇒ George Smith] beats the British 100 mile record by 5 minutes.
The bicycle, which we still know in this form today, has established itself. 1908 at the London Olympics every race is won with a ROVER bike.
In 1888 John Kemp Starley developed an electric car. It is tested in Deauville/France, because you are only allowed to ride faster than 4 mph in England if a man with a red flag leads the way.
In 1896, he received a settlement of 100,000 pounds following the conversion of J. K. Starley & Co into the joint-stock company Rover Cycle Company.
John Kemp Starley dies in 1901 at the age of 46 years.

Starley, John Kemp jun. ("Jack")

John Kemp Starley jun., in order to avoid confusion of names generally referred to as "Jack", joined his father's company immediately after graduating from school in 1892.
After his father's death he became deputy plant manager of the ROVER Cycle Company in 1901.
In January 1929 - until then one hears little of him - he is dismissed from [⇒ Searle] during a business trip and does not return from Australia to ROVER. He receives a severance payment in the amount of £ 4,500.

Starley, William

William Starley is one of the sons of [⇒ James Starley] and continues the bicycle factory after James' death. He also applies for several patents, but is not as innovative as [⇒ J. K. Starley].

Stewart, Jackie

Jackie Stewart was intended as a driver of the Rover-BRM gas turbine car at Le Mans.

Stokes, Sir Donald

Sir Donald Stokes, ab 1969 Lord Stokes, photograph taken in 1970

Donald Stokesjoined Leyland Motors Ltd, a company that mainly produces heavy goods vehicles, in 1930 as an engineer.
In 1946 he became director of export promotion, then director of export department. In 1949 he became Sales Director and in 1960 General Manager of Scammel Lorries, a subsidiary company. 1963 he is the Commercial Director of Leyland (after the incorporation of Triumph), then Director General.
After the merger with ROVER in 1967, he proposed to make [⇒ Spencer B. Wilks] honorary chairman for life. 1967 he approves together with [⇒ John Barber] the preliminary plans for ROVER's P8 project.
After the merger of Leyland and BMC to British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) in May 1968, he becomes the general manager of the new group and, after the resignation of [ ⇒ Sir George Harriman ], he becomes President.
In January 1969 he is ennobled.
In 1974, he had to ask the government for financial assistance - or rather: the rescue - for British Leyland.
 
1970 Auto, Motor and Sport (issue 4/1970) introduces an informative interview with Lord Stokes .

Strang, Charlie

Charlie Strang is Chief Engineer at Mercury Marine, USA. He receives from [⇒ Martin-Hurst] some 2.5-litre land rover diesel engines for testing.

Sudbury, W. D.

Sudbury is from Matlock. He is chairman of a shareholders' meeting at ROVER in early 1928 ("shareholder rebellion"). He becomes a director at ROVER, but has little qualification to run an automobile factory. After [⇒ Wyleys] resignation he becomes chairman. He brings [⇒ Frank Searle] to ROVER.

Sutton, William

William Sutton founded in 1877 with [⇒ John Kemp Starley] a bicycle factory.

Swaine, Jack

Jack Swaine did numerous design jobs for [⇒ Maurice Wilks], after [⇒ Robert Boyle] went to Morris.
He designed two new engines: a 60° -V8 and a 90° -V6 with camshaft in the middle, overhead intake and side exhaust valves. The V6 was built as a prototype but did not go into production. The V8 was not realized.
After World War II, he puts [ ⇒ Maurice Wilks'] Ideas into action:
"In Chesford - by the way, an excellent place to work - I first designed the engine for the M-model, then we started to finish the engines with inclined cylinder heads for post-war cars, which I designed before the war for a six-cylinder engine."
1955 he develops the 3-litre engine for the "P5".
1956 Swaine is responsible for the entire engine development at ROVER.