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I know Ryton was originally a Rootes Group factory, but does anyone know when it was built?
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According to the BBC it was built as an aircraft engine factory during the war, presumably under Rootes management.
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According to the BBC it was built as an aircraft engine factory during the war, presumably under Rootes management.
I'm not sure about "under Rootes management", but it was indeed originally an aircraft engine factory. I worked for Rootes/Chrysler in the test department (until it moved to France in the 1970s) in what had formerly been the aircraft engine test cells. The vertical air inlet and outlet towers at the ends of each engine test cell had remained intact (but no longer used), and the lower half of the horizontal circular air passageways had been blasted out (with dynamite or similar) to form useable normal room shapes with vertical walls and horizontal floors. The original reinforced steel doors to the test cells, which opened out onto a corridor, also remained intact.
Ah, happy days!
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L\'escargot.
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Interesting stuff - was the Sunbeam Tiger developed in there!
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Presumably it is what was called as a 'shadow factory'? Several car manufacturers moved into them post-war, possibly including Rover and Daimler IIRC. I remember Ryton-on-Dunsmore used to be given as the address for Humber - remember them?
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Presumably it is what was called as a 'shadow factory'? Several car manufacturers moved into them post-war, possibly including Rover and Daimler IIRC. I remember Ryton-on-Dunsmore used to be given as the address for Humber - remember them?
I think the name Humber was used for the administration centre and engine/gearbox production facilities at (would you believe it!) Humber Road. The heading on the letter offering me a job at Ryton was Singer Cars Ltd.
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L\'escargot.
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Interesting stuff - was the Sunbeam Tiger developed in there!
Yup. I remember that racing tyres had to be fitted for prolonged flat-out testing on the high speed circuit at MIRA.
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L\'escargot.
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