Herbert Austin, born 8th November 1866 in Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire had been involved with manufacturing and engineering since a very young age. He'd always had a passion for cars, mostly down to long journeys across the Australian outback which gave him a clear insight into how important petrol driven vehicles would prove to be.
It was this passion that saw him go on to build three of Britain’s first ever cars, under the then name of the company Wolseley.
It wasn't until November 1905 that Herbert Austin purchased an old disused printing works in the village of Longbridge, seven miles south of Birmingham and formed The Austin Motor Company.
At the time, Austin's cars were considered luxury vehicles, and they had an impressive clientele, including Russian Grand Dukes, Princesses, Bishops and high officials in the Spanish Government.
By 1913, Austin Motor Company was employing 2,300 people and producing 1,500 cars each year.
Perhaps Austin's most famous products are the “Mini” which was launched in 1959, the “Healey” from 1952 and the “Allegro” which came much later in 1973.