William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes

William " Billy" Edward Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes (* 1894 in Hawkhurst, Kent, † 1964) was a British automobile industrialist.

Life

After education at Cranbrook School, he worked as a car salesman, before 1917, along with his brother Reginald " Reggie " Rootes began buying up existing automobile factories. By purchasing the car brands Humber in 1931, Hillman and Sunbeam Talbot and Clement 1935, the company grew under the name Rootes Group the biggest car production and sales companies in the UK. The acquisition of the automotive manufacturer Singer 1955 finally marked the high point of the mergers. Billy Rootes remained to his death in 1964 Chief Executive Officer ( Chairman ) of the Rootes Group.

In 1959, he was elevated as 1st Baron Rootes to the peerage. The economic difficulties of the Rootes Group, which led to the takeover of the company by the Chrysler Corporation in 1967, did not live to Baron Rootes however.

Quote

The collaboration with his brother Reginald Rootes he described as follows:

Source

  • " Chambers Biographical Dictionary ", p 1305, 2002, ISBN 0-550-10051-2
  • Business (automotive )
  • Entrepreneur ( 20th century)
  • Rootes
  • Briton
  • Born 1894
  • Died in 1964
  • Man
Automotive industry Humber (car) Sunbeam (car company) Singer Motors Baronet
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