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Maurice Wilks remained chief engineer until appointed technical director in 1946. He was appointed joint managing director with brother
Spencer Wilks in August 1956 and succeeded his brother as managing director in November 1960. In January 1962 preferring policy to day-to-day management he was
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aircraft engines. Experiencing difficulties with
Whittle's team Rover passed the project to Rolls-Royce in 1943. After the war, Wilks continued working with gas turbine engines, leading to Rover unveiling the first gas turbine powered car in 1949.
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Peter Wilks (1920-1972), son of
Geoffrey Wilks, took over his uncle Maurice Wilks' technical directorship in 1963 and later became engineering director but he retired for health reasons in July 1971 when only 51 and died the following
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described him as shunning publicity but added that he was farsighted and regarded as one of the industry's outstanding engineers with a brilliant knowledge of engineering detail. He was survived by his wife and three children.
348:(1891—1971), was general manager from September 1929 then managing director of Rover from 1932 until 1957 when he was appointed chairman of the board of directors. Spencer was hired by Rover managing director,
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Aged 70 Spencer retired from the chair in favour of his much younger (13 years) brother at the beginning of 1962 remaining on the board in a non-executive capacity. He was made president of Rover in 1967.
150:, Hampshire, England, the youngest of five sons and one daughter of Thomas Wilks (born Balham), a director of Leather Co and his wife Jane Eliza (born St. Sepulchre, London), a
126:(19 August 1904 – 8 September 1963) was an English automotive and aeronautical engineer, and by the time of his death in 1963, was the chairman of the
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for farm work, and his brother
Spencer who was visiting him, were inspired to develop and produce a utility four-wheel-drive vehicle for farmers, and the name
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appointed chairman of the Rover
Company in succession to his older brother Spencer Wilks. The managing director appointment was given to W F F Martin-Hurst.
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vehicle based on a Jeep chassis. In
September 1947, the Rover company authorised the production of 50 pre-production models for evaluation purposes. The
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made general manager and given a seat on Rover's board the following year. Spencer would be appointed managing director of Rover from 1932
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as chief engineer following his much older brother, Spencer. Spencer Wilks had been brought in from
Hillman in September 1929 by Rover's
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In 1930 Spencer and
Maurice Wilks on Spencer's appointment to the board made the important decision to make only high quality cars.
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380:(1925-2010) was a nephew of Spencer and Maurice Wilks. He took over as technical director on the retirement of Peter Wilks.
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William Martin-Hurst (1905-1988) Rover's well-liked managing director, was a
Maurice Wilks relative by marriage.
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Maurice Wilks was a leading light in the establishment and development of the proving ground facilities of the
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From the early 1930s, until merged with
British Leyland, Rover had much of the nature of a family business.
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Nick Georgano; Nick Baldwin; Anders Clausager; Jonathan Wood (1995). Nick Georgano (ed.).
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and responsible for the inspiration and concept work that led to the development of the
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Shortly after the war, whilst at his farm in Anglesey, Wilks, who used an army surplus
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in the United States but after two years in the U.S., returned to England and Hillman.
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Wilks remained at Hillman as a planning engineer until 1930, when he moved to the
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Graces Guide to British Industrial History. Profile of Spencer Wilks
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was launched to the world at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show.
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who became managing director, chairman and president of the
573:, Tuesday, 10 October 1933; p. 21; Issue 46571 until 1957.
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He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Church at
459:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004.
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251:By the summer of 1947 Rover had built a prototype
610:Britain's Motor Industry: The First Hundred Years
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19:For other people named Maurice Wilks, see
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169:He married Barbara Martin-Hurst in 1937.
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456:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
314:AUGUST 19TH 1904 - SEPTEMBER 8TH 1963
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556:Company Results Rover reorganisation,
538:Rover 75 and MG ZT: The Complete Story
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396:bicycle and automobile manufacturer.
329:WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WORLD'S
282:Maurice Wilks gravestone in Anglesey
218:, Wilks led Rover's team developing
146:Wilks was born on 19 August 1904 on
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264:Motor Industry Research Association
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736:People educated at Malvern College
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323:ROVER COMPANY OF A CHAIRMAN AND
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522:"Obituary: Mr. Maurice Wilks".
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320:WHOSE SUDDEN DEATH ROBBED THE
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185:. In 1926 he went to work for
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332:FIRST GAS TURBINE DRIVEN CAR
311:MAURICE FERNAND CARY WILKS
196:Rover gas turbine powered car
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726:British automobile designers
480:UK public library membership
286:Wilks died at his farm near
130:. He was the founder of the
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154:. One of his brothers was
124:Maurice Fernand Cary Wilks
51:Maurice Fernand Cary Wilks
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585:Rover appoint president.
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162:. He was educated at
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303:Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
288:Newborough, Anglesey
85:Newborough, Anglesey
68:, Hampshire, England
248:was coined for it.
235:Land Rover Series I
105:Car design engineer
671:Business Changes.
658:Business Changes.
645:Business Changes.
632:Business Changes.
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79:(1963-09-08)
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721:1963 deaths
716:1904 births
685:Motor Sport
495:Marriages.
242:Willys Jeep
224:gas turbine
152:Suffragette
93:Nationality
731:Land Rover
710:Categories
482:required.)
400:References
386:John Black
354:John Black
257:Land Rover
253:Land Rover
246:Land Rover
142:Early life
57:1904-08-19
673:The Times
660:The Times
647:The Times
634:The Times
587:The Times
571:The Times
558:The Times
524:The Times
497:The Times
414:The Times
295:The Times
117:(brother)
111:Relatives
64:Eastoke,
183:Coventry
470:17 July
388:of the
214:During
96:English
87:, Wales
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173:Career
374:year.
274:Death
614:ISBN
542:ISBN
472:2011
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