Villiers
Villiers was started by John Marston & Son of Sunbeam in 1898, in Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, as a component manufacturer for Sunbeam motorcycles. Their first engine was built in 1911, and the first two-strokes, of 269cc, were produced in 1913.
In 1916 John Marston retired from Sunbeam and he died in 1918. His son Charles then had to deal with the problem of paying death duties on the estate, that tax having been recently introduced. He also wanted to deal with the fact that he had many interests outside industry. He therefore sold off Sunbeam to a group of munitions makers who had done well out of the war and wanted somewhere to put their patriotic gains. Charles kept Villiers Engineering but, in or about 1919, he left the active day to day management of the company. He remained as Chairman but Frank Farrer, as Managing Director, became the leading light. Charles took as active an interest in the affairs of the firm as his other interests allowed. Indeed he was involved in Villiers' attempt to produce a car in 1926. He carefully examined Cadillac, Ford, Chrysler and Piece Arrow, apparently thinking that there would be a market for a high quality, medium sized car produced on modern production line. Villiers employed Leslie Farrer, Frank's nephew, who had been with Austin, to develop the idea. Three prototypes were built but then the project was abandoned on the grounds that competition in the market was too great. They were probably right. This was not the time for a new car manufacturer to appear or even for old ones to expand as, locally, Star and Clyno were to discover.