Extinct British car brands: where are they now?

There was a time when British car marques ruled the world, and brands such as Austin, Hillman and Morris were established in the furthest-flung outposts around the globe. As the 20th century progressed, empires shrunk and new world powers emerged, which saw the demise of many small and not-so-small automotive brands.

Some of the worthier dead marques still retain a strong enough image to warrant a revival, fuelled by romance and the power of heritage. We look at some of the more interesting brands that could make a comeback…

VANDEN PLAS (1870-2009)

This Belgian carriage builder supplied bodywork to car marques from 1890, and to Brit brands Daimler, Bentley, Alvis and Rolls-Royce from 1913. The name was bought by Austin after WW2, and used for ‘posh’ Princess, 1100 and Allegro VDPs, and to create an upmarket Rover and Jaguar sub-brand.

Owner now: Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation, and Jaguar Land Rover in America.

Chance of revival: A very outside chance that Jaguar could one day apply it to American range-toppers.

JENSEN MOTORS (1934-1976, 1998-2002)

Jensen originally supplied car and lorry bodies to marques such as Austin, Ford and Volvo. It launched its first own-brand car in the 1930s, and moved into GT cars in the 1950s. The iconic Interceptor arrived in 1966, and made a brief comeback in the late 1980s, and then again in 1998. In 2002, the administrators moved in.

Owner now: The Jensen Group.

Chance of revival: Minimal, even though the name retains great cachet.

JOWETT (1901-1954)

The post-war Javelin and Jupiter from Bradford-based Jowett Cars were advanced sports cars, but production and sales issues had killed the brand by the mid-1950s.

Owner now: Jowett, now an aircraft part manufacturer.

Chance of revival: After all these years? None.

HILLMAN (1907-1976)

A huge name in the mass market through most of the 20th century, Hillman was the creator of such cherished models as the rear-engined Imp (1963-1976), family-friendly Avenger and classic Minx. Chrysler binned the Hillman badge when it took over in 1967, and then sold out to Peugeot in 1979.

Owner now: France’s PSA Group (owner of Citroën, DS, Peugeot and, as of late, Opel and Vauxhall).

Chance of revival: PSA has plenty of popular mass-market brands, so this is pretty low.

DAIMLER (1896-2007)

Daimler is one of the most established names in motoring, having supplied cars to the British monarchy from 1902. The distinctively styled V8-powered SP250 Dart was its most famous sports car. Jaguar bought the name in 1960, and labeled its range-toppers as such until 2007.

Owner now: Tata Motors, via Jaguar Land Rover.

Chance of revival: Mercedes-Benz’s parent firm is called Daimler AG, which means any small-scale revival might problematic.

AUSTIN (1905-1987)

Austin was massive in the 20th century, and largely responsible for mobilising Britain with its 1922-1939 Seven, 1959 Mini, 1960s 1100/1300, and Metro. Rover discontinued the name in 1987.