Guy (United Kingdom) - AllCarIndex

Guy Motors Ltd was a British automobile manufacturer based in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, which operated from 1914 until 1925. Founded by Sidney Guy, a former works manager for Sunbeam, the company initially focused on producing commercial vehicles. Following World War I, Guy Motors diversified its production to include aero engines and truck engines, before venturing into the luxury car market.

The company's luxury vehicles were designed by R.H. Rose, also an ex-Sunbeam employee. One of their notable models was equipped with a 4,072 cc V8 engine featuring horizontal side valves, which were designed to offer the benefits of overhead valves while simplifying maintenance. This model included advanced features such as detachable cylinder heads, aluminum pistons, and an automatic chassis lubrication system that activated with full steering lock. The chassis was priced at £1,275, positioning it between the offerings of Daimler and Rolls-Royce, although the price was reduced to £1,095 in 1923, the final year the V8 was available. Approximately 25 units of this model were produced.

In 1922, Guy Motors introduced a companion 4-cylinder model with a 2,465 cc engine, priced at £550 for the chassis and £750 for a complete vehicle. However, this model struggled to gain traction in the market. In 1924, the company launched the 13/36, which utilized a 1,954 cc Coventry-Climax engine and retained the automatic chassis lubrication feature, with a more competitive price of £495 for a complete four-seater. Sales of this model reached around 110 units before the company ceased production of passenger cars in 1925.

After exiting the passenger car market, Guy Motors became well-known for its commercial vehicles. The company was acquired by Jaguar in 1961 and subsequently became part of the British Leyland group in 1968. The last complete Guy trucks were manufactured in 1976, although the factory continued to produce components until 1983.