FOLLOWING a question about Cox and Co on Watford bypass, a reader has submitted the following, which is the first part of the official history of the firm.

A COX & Co was a small engineering firm which started up at the end of 1927 and grew on the back of the motor industry recession by taking over the stock and plant of the Rotax Works at Landor Street, Birmingham and transferring these to rented premises at Lower Richmond Road, Putney.

Two smaller businesses, The Calso Hood Company and Easting Windscreens were acquired some time later.

The founder of the company was Mr Roland Wilton Cox (he later became referred to by his employees as "Old Man Cox" or "The Old Man" for short).

Before starting out on his own, Mr Cox had been working at Rotax Limited, the motor accessory manufacturers at Willesden, London, ultimately becoming director and general manager of the company.

He took part in negotiations which led to the merger of Lucas CAV and Rotax, became a member of the board and held several important executive positions within the Lucas Group.

He was by nature an individualist and readily seized the opportunity of purchasing certain interests, including the Rotax Branch Works at Landor Street, Birmingham after the Lucas Group decided to concentrate manufacture at their main works.

The premises first occupied by Cox & Co in Putney were originally a London County Council Horse Bus Depot and Stables and, although situated in a densely populated area, were very suitable for manufacturing purposes, having previously been occupied by the Weyman Body Company and later by the Cunard Carriage Company, both these firms having been manufacturers of special car bodies. Weyman, for example, had supplied the bodies for the early cars built by Gordon England.

The business conducted by Cox & Co in the early days consisted of the manufacture of motor vehicle components such as hoods, side screens, windscreens, car trunks and curtain barrels and the factoring of hood materials, car carpets, leather cloth and other components including window lifts and speaking tubes.

The repair of hoods and side screen was also carried out. These items were supplied to the manufacturers of car bodies.

At that time the motor body was constructed independently of the vehicle chassis. It was not until the late 1930's that car bodies were constructed from pressed steel and included the necessary mountings for the engine, wheels, steering and transmission in the form that we are familiar with today.

With the motor industry recession affecting business prospects in their early years the firm had a difficult time, but they survived due to their astute judgment that a demand existed for high class windscreens for the coachbuilders.

This they achieved by developing a patent quadrant screen adjusting and locking device. For some while the main product was windscreens and eventually valuable contracts were obtained from Hillman and Vauxhall.

Subsequently a completely new type of windscreen opening and adjustment device, known as the chain lock, was developed and patented. This was sold in large quantities to Austin, Morris, Riley, Singer and Standard.

In 1934, they started to manufacture tubular steel furniture similar to designs which had been shown by the Bauhaus at exhibitions in Germany in the late 1920s. One of the first substantial orders received for tubular furniture was for the original BBC Studios in Langham Place.

However, the firm's original policy was to sell the tubular furniture for use in the home. This proved unsuccessful as the British public did not take to its simple design and Spartan appearance, but when designs were developed for canteens, showrooms, waiting rooms, display or publicity purposes, they were more successful and demand increased more rapidly.

In order to extend the range of tubular furniture designs Cox & Co negotiated an agreement with PEL Limited; a subsidiary of Tube Investments for a licence to manufacture the PEL patented tubular nesting or stacking chair and nesting table.

Although sales for these chairs were slow at first they were to prove a best seller in their field and a steady demand kept them in manufacture for about 30 years. Examples of these early chairs may still be found in some canteens and small assembly halls.

Two areas at this time in the development of new products were the design of tip-up seating for public halls and the design of car seating. The use of tubular steel to replace the traditional cast iron construction of tip-up seating gave a considerable saving in weight and a tubular steel frame offered a competitive replacement for the motor vehicle seats that were constructed by the car makers from sheet steel and wood.

The first contract obtained for tip-up seating was for the Royal Institute of British Architects in Portland Place, London.

This contract was obtained in competition with the products of many eminent designers. The prestige of securing this contract was particularly valuable as the design and installation was very successful.

Since these seats were mainly occupied by architects they automatically came to Cox & Co when they required tip-up seating for their future projects.

Resulting from this first contract many thousands of tip-up seats were later supplied for numerous projects in many parts of the world.

The introduction of tubular steel car seating experienced some difficulty in getting the car makers interested.

Eventually a design was accepted by the Rootes Group and tubular seats to an original Cox & Co design were fitted to the Hillman Minx.

Orders followed soon after for Vauxhall, Ford and Austin.

They then developed a four part single seat frame, comprising base frame, back frame and two supporting runners on U-section slides.

This was followed by the development of a seat having a combined runner, tube seat frame and back frame that was sold to Vauxhall.

As production of these tubular frames increased, German automatic tube benders and American spring coiling machines were bought to increase production capacity.

Electric arc welding was introduced, large capacity presses were installed and special purpose bending jigs and tools were designed and built.

By 1936 Cox & Co was expanding its sales of tubular car seats and some 500 people were employed at Putney.

The introduction of tubular steel designs for tip-up seats and car seating provided the foundation on which the future prosperity of Cox & Co was built.

Cox & Co started to grow quite rapidly and before long a larger factory was required. In 1936 a site for a new factory building, with space to allow for future expansion, was found on the Watford Bypass at the junction with Aldenham Road.

This road junction was later to become known as Cox's Corner. Plans were made for the building of a factory and moving the firm to this site.