Papers of the Vanden Plas Coachbuilding Company

Papers of the British operation of the Vanden Plas company. Including business papers, marketing and publications information and photographic material.

Open to bona fide researchers

The founder of the company was Guillaume Vanden Plas, who inherited a small workshop in 1870 in Brussels. He specialised in making front and rear axle units for carriage makers. In 1884 he left Brussels and started to make complete carriages in Antwerp. He had 3 sons who were trained to enter the business. The eldest, Antoine went to the USA for 2 years to train as a technician, Henri went to Paris and Berlin and studied design and Willie, the youngest, was apprenticed as a trimmer in London. In 1898 the company Carroserie Vanden Plas was formed at the Antwerp works and was managed by Henri. Guillaume and his 2 other sons went back to Brussels and opened an extension works. Both firms expanded rapidly. In 1900 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris the company was awarded the Grand Prix Medal, the highest award ever obtained by a Belgian Coachbuilder. In 1913 the firm of Theo Masui changed its name to Vanden Plas (England) Ltd to build car bodies under licence to Vanden Plas designs.

During World War I they became a subsidiary of The Aircraft Manufacturing Company at Hendon and built aircraft components. After the war the Aircraft Manufacturing Company started to build motor bodies under the name Vanden Plas (England) Ltd. at Hendon, but within a year or so the company went into liquidation. Edwin Fox, who was born on 8 September 1884 at Edgeware, Middlesex, acquired the ailing company of Vanden Plas (England) Ltd with his two brothers Alfred and Frank for a payment of £6,000 He became Managing Director of Vanden Plas (England) 1923 Ltd. and Alfred was appointed Chairman. Vanden Plas transferred to Kingsbury Works in 1923. From 1924 onwards the company was closely connected with Bentley Motors, and built all the bodies for the Le Mans Bentleys. Two cars were entered for Le Mans in 1925 and a contingent from Vanden Plas made the trip every year until 1930. They had 5 outright wins. In 1937 Vanden Plas sold the Kingsbridge site to the Territorial Army. The Company attempted to repurchase it in 1964 but failed. Their final bid was £94,500; the site went for £95,000.

It is said that up to 1939 no two bodies by Vanden Plas were identical. 1939 saw the end of the bespoke coachbuilt body and Vanden Plas went over to aircraft work for the second time, during the country's re-armament programme just prior to World War II. E. Roland Fox, son of Edwin, joined Vanden Plas as a Body Engineer in 1939 and succeeded his father as Managing Director after Edwin's death in 1953. He retired as Chief Executive in 1974 for health reasons, but served as a consultant for 2 more years. His son Richard spent 6 years with the company and left in 1975 to join Leyland International. With the rationalisation of British Leyland the Vanden Plas factory was closed in 1979. The name Vanden Plas continues today on the top Jaguar saloons marketed in the USA.