Argyll Motors

Argyll Motors was an ambitious Scottish motor manufacturer in the early 20th century. Established in Glasgow, it moved to palatial premises in Alexandria on Loch Lomond.

How many car factories have been immortalised on postcards, like the hand coloured example above?

Argyll was a pioneer in marketing and public relations, with its famous publicity department making sure the company was in the news around the world. It also employed sales people around the globe and “Argyll’s man in San Francisco is pictured on the About Argyll page”.

ABOVE: 1913 Argyll 15/30 HP

Argyll was also an innovator, being the first to introduce four-wheel braking and it also drove the development of the Burt-McCollum single-sleeve-valve engine. The company’s vehicles sold well in places as far removed as Canada, the USA, Japan and New Zealand.

But, an unwillingness to compromise on quality and the overheads of the lavish offices, factory and test track, weighed heavily on the company.

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