* Information has been provided by Dennis Mynard from notes with a Lagonda-Tickford link which were collected for use in his book 'Salmons & Sons, The Tickford Coachbuilders'.

From Roy Paine (2nd generation Panel Beater at Salmons then Tickfords)
"Aston Martins were built by Mulliners in the early 1950's and they got fed up with David Brown and that's how the work came to Tickfords. I remember a lot of half finished Astons arriving for us to finish and from then on we got the contract".
"David Brown sent down a lot of his men from up North to work with us, but they knew nothing about cars, they only knew about gears".
Autumn 1953 3-Litre 2.9-litre Tickford two-door saloon and Drophead coupe introduced.

Extract from 1953 Motor Show Catalogue LAGONDA, LTD.
Hanworth Park, Feltham, Middlesex.
LAGONDA 6-cylinder, 3-litre, 2-door Sports Saloon.
Engine: bore 83 mm., stroke 90 mm., 2,922 c.c.; developing 140 b.h.p. at 5,000 r.p.m.; compression ratio 8.2:1; inclined overhead valves; two S.U. horizontal carburetters with air silencer; S.U. electric fuel pump; centrifugal water pump circulation, thermo¬statically controlled; coil ignition; 12-volt 63-amp./hr. battery; Lucas dynamo; Borg & Beck single-plate clutch; rack and pinion steering; 4 forward speeds in David Brown synchromesh gearbox providing overall ratios of 4.56, 6.06, 9.02 and 13.30:1, and reverse 13.30:1; gear lever on steering-column; hypoid bevel final drive; Lockheed hydraulic brakes; suspension: front, independent coil spring, rear, independent torsion bar; pressed-steel disc-wheels with 6.00 x 16 tyres. A Tickford 4/5-seater saloon body with 2 doors; fixed head; and equipment including: air-conditioning; fog-lamps and windscreen washers. Wheelbase 9 ft. 5JJ- in.; track, front and rear 4 ft. 8| in.; overall length 16 ft. 4 in., width 5 ft. 9^ in., height 5 ft. 2 in., ground clearance 7 in.; turning circle 38 ft.; fuel tank capacity 19 Imp. gal.; Smith's hydraulic jacking integral with chassis; Rimbellishers; H.M.V. Radiomobile. LAGONDA 6-cylinder, 3-litre, 2-door Sports Saloon. All details as above. . LAGONDA 6-cylinder 3-litre Drophead Coupe. All mechanical details as above. 3-position hood. See pages 481 to 491 for "Index to Car Prices".

1954 December, just before Christmas
An announcement by Ian Boswell that he had sold Tickford Ltd. to David Brown. This gave David the ability to produce his own bodies and eventually all production was moved from Feltham to NP.

1954 Extract from the 'Bucks Standard' January 7th.
'Company sold to David Brown and from then on would produce only Aston Martin and Lagonda.'

1954 January 19th
Notice in The Motor, p986
The business of Tickford, Ltd; formerly carried on under that title at 6-9 Upper St Martins Lane, W.C.2 is now known as Salmons Garages Ltd. Mr P.F. Markham continues as director together with Mr I.I.Boswell, who retains the share capital, with H.S.Baker, F.C.A., also on the board. The change is necessitated by the sale by Mr Boswell of the Newport Pagnell business and the name and trade mark Tickford to Mr David Brown who intends to extend and develop his automobile activities there.

1955 From Cliff Petts- he was the fourth generation of his family to work at Salmons and he was a fount of knowledge about the company.
"It was in 1955 when the first Aston Martin bodies were built at the factory and these were the first steel framed bodies to be built at Newport Pagnell The small Tickford badges were on each side of the front wings on both Aston Martin and Lagonda for some time, then this practice ceased".

 

Questions to Keith Griggs who was David Brown's Personnel Manager and very interested in the Company History

Q: "Did Boswell stay on for a while or did he go as soon as it became Aston Martin?"

A: "Boswell may have stayed for a while after David Brown took over in 1955 but only to hand things over. He then opened up his Newport Instruments Factory in Crawley Road. David Brown appointed a new General Manager as soon as he took over." (KG)

 

Q: "What was the Olympia used for in Tickford days and did Aston change the use?"

A: "Soon after David Brown took over the front of the Olympia was rebuilt. The building was then used as the Machine Shop. Bill Clarke came down from Farsley in Northumberland and he was the superintendent of that department. Later it became the Aston Service Department."

 

Q: "What was your wife Irene's job at Astons?"

A: "She was secretary to the Chief Accountant."

 

Q: "Did Aston continue to produce any of the Tickford cars e.g. Healey, Land Rover,and Humber or did all production of these stop before or when David Brown purchased the Company?"

A: "No, the last Tickford car built was the Alvis Grey Lady and production ceased in 1955 just after David Brown purchased the works."

 

Q: "Which were the first Astons produced at NP and did Tickfords build bodies for Lagonda before David bought the factory?"

A: "The Mark 3 and the DB2/4 but they were not completely built there. Some of the work went out to Mulliners."

 

Q: "How long did it take to produce an Aston?"

A: "We always said 16 weeks. Sometimes we were finishing only 6 a week but when busy we finished 12 in a week."

 

Q: "Do you remember Bert Thickpeny, the designer?"

A: "Yes he was the Resident Body Designer. He also designed advertisements and did body drawings for customers. Aston's other designer was Frank Feeley of Staines."

 

Information from John Dunbabin 11th December 2007.

Q: "What happened to the Tickford Design Team after David Brown purchased Tickfords?"

A: "Eventually, Bert, George and John went to Vauxhall. Winston went to America"

 

Q: "I thought Bert designed some Aston Martins"

A: "Yes, he came back from Vauxhal."