19050000-022

Percy, circa 1906, outside one of several bicycle shops owned by himself and Roland in the early years of the century. This one was probably at 152A Ladypool Rd, Sparkbrook in Birmingham. The brothers expanded from two wheels to four and established the first motor garage in Birmingham in 1905. The bicycles-to-cars business plan was one that was also used by Herbert Austin, one of the pioneers of British motor manufacturing. Austin worked for the Aston-based Wolseley Sheepshearing machine company and when Wolseley itself started to think about car production, Austin left and established his own manufacturing base at Longbridge. All this happened in the same year that the Winchurch Brothers started their own venture. It is almost certain that Roland and Percy were acquainted with Austin and knew of his business plans and that the launching of their own business was in part connected to Austin’s.