Meeting – 2nd July 2019
June 11th, 2019Our next meeting at St Saviour’s Church Hall is on Tuesday 2nd July 2019 at 8.00pm when we will have a presentation by Max Hunt entitled “Herbert Austin and Longbridge”. Max was a former history master and later Director of Education for Stockport. He was born in Romsley and remembers the special trains taking Austin workers home from Longbridge stopping at Hunnington Station. His first car was an Austin Seven ‘Nippy’ made at Longbridge in 1935.
Whether you are interested cars or not, I think this will be an interesting and maybe nostalgic evening. ‘The Austin’ at Longbridge as it is still fondly remembered, was a local manufacturer which has employed many tens of thousands of Midlanders since 1906 and many of us will have family members who were employed there and possibly driven one of the vehicles made there. I can make a claim on both counts.
Although Herbert Austin died in 1941 the story of Longbridge, once Europe’s largest car factory, continued through the fifties and sixties when the factory was under the control of William Lord. Cars were styled by Battista Pininfarina and Alex Issigonis. The latter developed the Mini launched in 1959 and the highly successful Austin 1100. Unfortunately, it is a story which does not have a happy ending.
Visitors are most welcome at all our events. See hhfs.org.uk for details and contacts.