Argyll Motor Cars catalogue cover from 1904.
Alexander Govan started his career making bicycles, first in Glasgow and then in Redditch near Birmingham. In 1899 he came back to Scotland and with W A Smith, a Glaswegian entrepreneur, set up a business making motor cars. They converted the premises of the Scottish Cycle Co in Hozier Street into their factory. Govan designed the first vehicle, an Argyll voiturette (from the French for a small car), using engines bought in from other manufacturers.
Argyll Motor Cars went from strength to strength in the next few years and began to offer a wider range of motor cars to the public.
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
Argyll Motor Cars, Hozier Engineering Co, motor cars, Scottish Cycle Co