Pressed Steel Company - British Leyland and BMW

British Leyland and BMW

By 1965 Pressed Steel employed 26,000 persons. Its sales to the British motor industry—over 90% of turnover— were by value 40% to BMC and a similar share to Rootes. However BMC's bodies were relatively unfinished, Rootes bodies were painted and trimmed so in terms of body units 61% went to BMC and 27% to Rootes.

BMC found only about a quarter to a third of its requirements at Pressed Steel obtaining the rest from subsidiary Fisher & Ludlow, Nuffield Metal Products, Austin, Morris Commercial Cars and Morris Motor Bodies. Rootes Group was almost entirely dependent on Pressed Steel for its car bodies. Jaguar and Rover were wholly or very largely dependent on Pressed Steel for their car bodies.

A factor covered in the Monopolies Commission Report is the association of Chrysler with Rootes Group so that there was the possibility of a take-over from USA putting Jaguar's and Rover's body supplies at risk if BMC's proposal was vetoed. It was also noted by the commission that an internal document drawn up while negotiations between BMC and Pressed Steel were in progress set out the terms and assurances to be offered to customers including that the continuance of supply of bodies or tools to customers other than BMC would be subject to BMC's own requirements. The Commission subsequently obtained assurances that allocations will be made to all customers on a pro rata basis.

In 1965 Pressed Steel was acquired by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and BMC set about combining Pressed Steel with its existing body making subsidiary Fisher and Ludlow, acquired by BMC some twelve years earlier, thereby creating Pressed Steel-Fisher (PS-F). At the time of the merger Pressed Steel was the largest independent manufacturer of car bodies and car body tooling in the world .

In the third quarter of 1966 BMC completed its takeover of Jaguar Cars On 14 December 1966 BMC shareholders approved the change of its name to British Motor Holdings (BMH) and it took effect from that moment.

Early in 1968 BMH merged with the Leyland Motor Corporation (LMC) to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), By this time PS-F had become the world's largest independent car body and car body tool manufacturer, and supplied bodies and tools not only for the British motor industry but also for Volvo, Alfa Romeo and Hindustan Motors. Under BLMC the Pressed Steel-Fisher business became the Pressed Steel Fisher division.

In 1975 BLMC was nationalised and became British Leyland Limited.