Leyland was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Leyland, Lancashire, operating as Leyland Motors Ltd. The company had pioneered commercial vehicle construction, producing its first steam van in 1896 and its first petrol lorry in 1904. During World War I, Leyland decided to enter the luxury car market. In 1917 and 1918, chief engineer J. G. Parry Thomas, assisted by Reid Railton, developed a car intended by the company's…