The Rootes Group: Humber, Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Commer, Karrier - 860

This is the story of the Rootes Group which was both an important British car manufacturer, and a significant contributor to the war effort in 1939-45, as it made large numbers of military aircraft and vehicles.

The company was started by William and Reginald Rootes in Maidstone from a background of building and selling bicycles and was originally concerned with new car sales, but the brothers soon realised that there were additional benefits in making cars rather than from just selling them.