Jos Lucas

1860

Lucas Industries (now Lucas Automotive)
Lucas Industries, one of the world's oldest continuously trading automotive brands, traces its origins to Joseph Lucas, who began selling paraffin oil from a barrow in Birmingham in the 1850s. In 1860 he founded the firm that would evolve into Lucas Industries, later joined by his son Harry. Initially producing pressed-metal goods and lamps, the company incorporated as Joseph Lucas Ltd. in 1898.
From 1902, Lucas shifted to automotive electrical components-magnetos, alternators, lighting, horns, and starter motors-securing major contracts with Morris (1914) and Austin (1926). During both World Wars, the company produced electrical equipment, shells, and fuses, becoming the principal supplier of electrical systems to British car and motorcycle manufacturers such as BSA, Norton, and Triumph.
Through the 1920s and 1930s, Lucas grew rapidly by acquisitions and agreements, expanding into braking systems, diesel technology, and aerospace components. Its reputation for reliable innovation made it a cornerstone of both the British automotive and aerospace industries throughout much of the 20th century.

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