Jowett Cars of the 1930s

Brothers William and Ben Jowett, of Bradford, Yorkshire, built their first car in 1906 and tested it for four years before going into car production in 1910. By the time the factory switched to First World War munitions work, in 1916, forty-eight cars had been built. They resumed car production in 1920, and sales went from strength to strength.

The 1930s proved to be a much more difficult time for Jowett, as a devastating fire in 1930 destroyed the factory and almost their entire stock of new cars. The brothers then had to decide whether or not they should rebuild the factory and start car manufacturing again-luckily, they did, as many interesting models were produced during this decade. From the first car in 1906, all cars the Jowetts produced were powered by the famous flat-twin engine known as 'the little engine with the big pull' that was used in all cars and light commercial vehicles.

In 1935, the range was expanded to include a four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine, and they used these two engines in various models until the Second World War.

About the Author

Noel Stokoe was born in York in 1950, and like his father, has always been interested in old cars. He worked for Barclays Bank for thirty years; followed by five years in a Building Society. Finally he worked at the local library for eight years, retiring in 2013. He bought his first Jowett in 1985, a 1952 Jupiter sports car which he still owns; he also owns a 1952 Javelin saloon and a 1953 Bradford van. He has been the Press Officer and Librarian of the Jowett car Club for over thirty years and has previously had six books published on the marque.