A Catalogue of the Papers of the Associated Equipment Company Ltd.TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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A Catalogue of the Papers of the Associated Equipment Company Ltd.Summary
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative/Biographical HistoryThe origins of the Associated Equipment Company Ltd. (AEC) lie in the manufacture by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) at Walthamstow of buses to its own design, including the famous B type introduced in 1910. When the Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd (UERC). bought the majority shareholding in the LGOC in 1912, vehicle manufacture was separated, and the Associatied Equipment Company was created as a wholly owned subsidiary. It was intended that AEC should be a stand-alone company, freely trading on the open market. However, a five-year agreement with Daimler, who became sole agents for AEC chassis sold to companies outside the UERC, somewhat restricted these ambitions. The agreement came to a premature end in 1916 when AEC came under direct Government control for the duration of the war. By the end of the war the agreement had expired and AEC was able to trade freely once again. With the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, the AEC's parent company the Underground Electric Railway Company was taken over as part of the unified London Transport system. As a result the Associated Equipment Company was floated as a separate business. In 1948 AEC acquired Crossley Motors Ltd. and the Maudslay Motor Company Ltd. and a new holding company, Associated Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (ACV), was set up. This joined Leyland Motors in 1962 and became part of what was later know as the Leyland Motor Corporation. This effectively put AEC under the control of Leyland Motors. The company ceaced trading withthe collapse of the Leyland Group in 1979. Reference: British Bus Archives The Associated Equipment Company Ltd. 1912 - 1979 (http://www.britishbus.co.uk/aec.htm). Accessed August 2002 Return to the Table of Contents Scope and ContentVolumes of signed minutes of Board and general meetings, 1912-1960; minutes of of the Board and Committee of Associated Commercial Vehicles Ltd; 1948-1970; minutes of managers' meetings, 1948-1968; minutes of the 22nd and 23rd General Meetings; shareholders' papers, 1928-1958; comptroller's Reports, 1962-1964; property files relating to ACV Sales Ltd. planning applications, 1948-1951; AEC Gazzette, 1945-1950; standard orders, 1912-1950. Return to the Table of Contents System of ArrangementThis collection forms part of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Archive (MSS.226). The Modern Records Centre uses a classification scheme. For further details of the scheme, see http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/mrcclass.shtml. It is compatible with ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description (2000). Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationImmediate Source of AcquisitionThis collection was deposited in the Centre by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust in 1984. Appraisal, Destruction, SchedulingThis collection has been weeded for duplicates. AccrualsFurther deposits are not expected. Access ConditionsThere are no restrictions on access to these papers. Copyright/ReproductionAll requests for publication of deposited material or the result of research based on it should be made to the Trust. The Trust reserves all rights to commercial exploitation and commercial publication. Please contact the Centre's staff for further details. Return to the Table of Contents Additional Sources of InformationFinding AidsA copy of this catalogue is available in paper format in the Centre's searchroom, at the National Register of Archives in London and in Chadwyck-Healey's National Inventory of Documentary Sources. This catalogue is also available in electronic format on the Access to Archives (A2A) website at: http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk/ An authority record exists for the Associated Equipment Company Ltd. (GB 0152 AAR2290). Related Units of DescriptionThe Modern Records Centre holds the papers of other companies which form part of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Archive. Secondary documents relating to the Associated Equipment Company Ltd. are located at MSS.226X/AE. Papers relating to Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd. are located at MSS.226/BL. Papers of Crossley Motors Ltd., which merged with AEC in 1948 are located at MSS.226/AE. Technical materials are retained by the BMIHT. Technical enquiries should be made direct to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, Archives and Information Service, Gaydon, Warwickshire. Return to the Table of Contents Index Headings
Associated Equipment Company Ltd. London General Omnibus Company
Buses -- Great Britain Commercial vehicles -- Great Britain Motor industry -- Great Britain Return to the Table of Contents CatalogueMSS.226/AE/1/1/1-14 1912 Jul - 1960 NovScope and ContentAEC Ltd. : Vols. of signed mins. of Board and general mtgs., giving some detail of the business transacted (premises, equipment, finance, senior appointments, output, etc.) MSS.226/AE/1/1/1 1912 Jul - 1918 OctScope and ContentAcquisition of Metropolitan Steam Omnibus Co. Ltd. MSS.226/AE/1/1/3 1926 Jan - 1927 OctScope and ContentThis volume covers the agreement with Daimler re the ADC, the General Strike, and the move to new factory premises at Southall. MSS.226/AE/1/1/8 1932 Jan-DecScope and Content[Incl. refs. to finan. problems of Blue Belle Motors Ltd., Clapham] MSS.226/AE/1/1/11 1934 Oct-1935 JulScope and Content[Incl. purchase of shares in British Gear Grinding Mfg. Co. Ltd.] MSS.226/AE/1/1/12 1935 Jul-1960 DecScope and ContentCopechat of Stroud loose-leaf binder of TS. signed mins. of Board Cttee. Mtgs. From Oct 1948 the mins. are those of the Board and Committee of the parent ACV group. AEC minutes continue in MSS.226/AE/1/1/13 below. Details of manufacturing programme and special expenditure continue to be given in the volume. In the post-war period the following may be noted by way of example : Negotiations with Leyland Motors Ltd. re combined work on trolley buses, 1946 (416) ; offer for Crossley Motors Ltd. and Maudslay Motor Co. Ltd. (489) ; acquisition of Monaco Motor Eng. Co. Ltd. and transfer of Marine and Industrial engine production, 1948 (490) ; new agreement with London Transport Executive, 1949 (589-91, 596-7, 610-11, 616, etc.) ; centralisation of control of design and production following acquisition of Crossley and Maudslay (eg. 700-01) ; depressed trading conditions of Maudslay Motor Co. (582), with subsequent development of sub-contract work; centralisation of design and production (700) ; review of financial policy, 1952 (760-3) ; Straussler tractor project (830) ; mech. excavator project (838) ; discontinuanc of Group Design Production Cttee. (MSS.226/AE/1/1/13) ; possible crawler tractor mfr. for IH (30) ; Ford Motor Co. negotiations with Park Royal, 1955 (71) ; decision to close Crossley Motors' Errwood Park works (197) ; proposed cessation of chassis production by Maudslay (194-200, 211) ; importance of non-Group production, esp. for Maudslay (224) ; S. Africa : PUTCO purchase, 1960 (313). [1948 Oct-Dec sequence not found for AEC Ltd.] MSS.226/AE/1/1/13 1949 Jan-1951 DecScope and ContentAEC Ltd. : TS. signed Board mins. [orig. filed in Kalamazoo binder] MSS.226/AE/1/1/14 1952 Jan-1956 DecScope and ContentAEC Ltd. : TS. signed Board mins. [orig. filed in Kalamazoo binder] Return to the Table of Contents MSS.226/AE/1/1/15 1948 Sep - 1970 AugScope and ContentCopechat of Stroud loose-leaf binder of TS. mins. (unsigned) of Board and Cttee. of Associated Commercial Vehicles Ltd. This volume overlaps with MSS.226/AE/1/1/12 above to Dec 1960. Topics include : purchase of Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Ltd. (335,345); Group design co-ordination (346); approach from Receiver of Guy Motors (365); reorganisation of Thornycroft (eg.370,375); Maudslay: equipment purchase for Ford contract (380); Leyland-ACV merger (399-400, et seq.); AEC's declining labour force, 1962 (403); Thornycroft contract for Motocart production (419); withdrawal of AEC work from Monaco Engines Ltd. (422); transfer of British Gear Grinding production to Basingstoke (655); difficulty of labour supply at Basingstoke (657,659); V8 engine programme (eg 665,668,671); transfer of Monaco Engines Ltd. to Leyland Motors Ltd. (675); Maudslay and Group sub-contract policy (678). [Mtgs. less frequent and mins. less detailed from 1964 onwards]. Return to the Table of Contents MSS.226/AE/1/2/1-2 AEC Managers' MeetingsScope and ContentTop copy TS. mins., latterly initialled by chairman. Topics covered incl. numerous points of detail re company's operations: staff, machinery, orders, suggestions from employees, technical matters, list of subscriptions to assocs., charities, etc. MSS.226/AE/1/2/1 1948 Oct - 1950 OctScope and ContentMeetings 196-293, orig. filed in Kalamazoo binder 1101/139. Incl. refs. to discussions w. Merryweather Sons Ltd. re interest in chassis for fire appliances; renewal of agreement with LTE (3396) [detail throughout re production for LTE]; standardisation of vehicles within the Group; RHE order for `Mammoth Major' chassis (3770). Return to the Table of Contents MSS.226/AE/1/3/1 1933, 1934Scope and ContentVols. of MS. mins. of 22nd 23rd Gen. Mtgs. Return to the Table of Contents MSS.226/AE/1/4/1-2 Registers of seals.Scope and ContentDocs. sealed incl. contracts for purchase of AEC vehics., patent specs., agreemts., apprentice indentures. Return to the Table of Contents Nominee shareholdingsMSS.226/AE/2/2/1-41 1939-58Scope and ContentA.E.C. Ltd. : nominee shareholdings : docs. re transfers, etc. (Bradley Foster Ltd., Sir Fredk. Eyles, R. W. Hale, Earl Howe, G. T. Lunt, Lt.-Col. J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon [later Lord Brabazon of Tara]; H. J. Peart, C. W. Reeve, A. J. Romer). Balance sheets of A.E.C. Ltd., 31 Jul 1939, 1940, 1943; Assoc. Equipment Co. Ltd., of Canada, 30 Sep 1958. Return to the Table of Contents Comptroller's ReportsMSS.226/AE/2/4/1-2 1962 Oct - 1963 Sep, 1963 Oct - 1964 SepScope and ContentBound vols. of Comptroller's Reports, ACV Ltd. : verbal comment on month's trading; followed by statistical material, incl. details of sales (with comparative figures), summary of order book, stock estimates, comparative estimated profit loss accounts. A.E.C. Ltd., Maudslay Motor Co., Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Ltd., and Body Division are dealt with separately in the verbal analysis. Return to the Table of Contents AEC property filesMSS.226/AE/3/PR/1 1948-51Scope and Content"Town and Country Planning Act" file : selected items [most destroyed]. The bulk of the retained material comprises detailed analysis of development of AEC site and plant, 1926-47; corres. re zoning of land adj. to Windmill Lane. MSS.226/AE/3/PR/2/1-23Scope and ContentArtificial file of items selected from transfer cases "Land 1954-1962" and "Southall Property Consents" [some plans retained]. Incl. copy ltr. to BR, Aug 1955 re rail-car permanent way; corres. re traffic problems of AEC main gate, 1955-6: corresps. incl. G.A. Pargiter MP and Sir Wavell Wakefield MP; 6 plans, incl. gen. plan of works, 1956, ref. C.W.106. MSS.226/AE/3/PR/3Scope and ContentWeeded file re AEC depot, Jamaica St., Bristol, incl. plan photos. Return to the Table of Contents MSS.226X/AE/4/1-6 AEC Gazette 1945-50Scope and ContentIllus. house journal, incl. details of orders, tech. features, articles on AEC operators, notes on staff, etc. [Purchased Sep 1987] Return to the Table of Contents Standing OrdersMSS.226/AE/7/AD/1 LGOC/AEC Standing Orders book [Purchasing Agent's dept.] 1912-50Scope and ContentExtra-large vol. cont. pasted-in dupl./carbon copy TS. standing orders on matters ranging from the issue of propelling pencils to routine for Order Stores Depts. The volume begins under the London General Omnibus Co. Ltd., shortly after the formation of AEC as a separate company. There is an alphabetical index at the front of the volume. Specific items include : p.11 LGOC staff car allocation, Jun 1913 p.12 Bedford garage : arrangements for its opening and operation, Jun 1913 pp.41,44 Casting marks : att. sheets giving names of suppliers, marks and dates. pp.67-8 U.S. Metal Mfg. Co., New York : copy of ltr. from President, 3 Dec 1915, re processing of order for 550 AEC bus chassis. p.116 List of Departmental Nos. within AEC works. p.134 Details of proposed new drawings numbering system, Aug 1919. p.141 Registration of `K' type bus body, Jun 1920. pp.175-6 Copy corres. with Midland Motor Cylinder Co. Ltd., Birmid Wks., Smethwick re period for rejection of scrap castings, Jul 1938. p.284 [in reverse sequence] Colour identification of coil springs, listing suppliers. Return to the Table of Contents Return to the Table of Contents |