Jowett Cars at Bradford Industrial Museum

See the Jowett cars that are on display at Bradford Industrial Museum. Most of these cars were built just 1.5 miles from the museum at Jowett's factory in Idle Bradford

0:6 Overview of the cars.
0:42 Jowett 6.4HP Light Car from 1914 with tiller steering.
1:08 Jowett Jupiter sports car from 1953.
1:19 Jowett Javelin which won its class in the 1949 Monte Carlo Rally. This was the first brand new British car on sale after the Second World War.
1:39 About the engines, flat twins and flat fours.
1:57 Jowett Jason Jowett's first four cylinder car.
2:49 Fun facts about Jowett vehicles.
3:03 Jowett's 1926 African adventure.
3:30 The Fabric covered saloon car.
3:43 The Jowett Jason was too fancy for its own good.
4:03 Lookalike cars, the Jowett 8HP and the Jowett 10HP.
4:31 Extra seats cost extra money.
4:51 Jowett Javelin, its new right through.
5:05 Jowett Bradford vans sold well.
5:22 The cars that might have been.
5:50 Will you visit Bradford Industrial Museum?

Transcript:
Hello! This video is about the Jowett vehicles at the Bradford Industrial Museum. You’ll see which cars and vans are displayed, learn some Jowett history, and we’ll wrap up with some fun facts.

So, Jowett's first workshop was in Maningham, Bradford. But most of the cars we're seeing here were made at their factory in Idle. The Jowett factory stood where the Enterprise 5 retail park stands now. If you’re from Bradford, the Jowett factory was, where Morrisons is now.

Let's talk about some of the cars. The oldest one here is the Jowett 6.4 HP Light Car. They started designing it in 1906 and kept tinkering with it until it was ready for production in 1910. The car we're looking at was actually built in 1914. This car didn't have a steering wheel. Instead, you used a boat-style tiller to steer.

Now, onto the newest addition to the collection: the Jowett Jupiter sports car from 1953. The Jowett Jupiter was based on the Jowett Javelin, which won some big races and awards. For example, it won victories at the 1949 Monte Carlo rally and the Spa 24-hour race in Belgium. Plus, the Jowett Javelin was the first brand-new car made by a British company after World War II.

Jowett used flat twin engines from 1906 all the way to 1954.

Between 1910 and 1935, they used flat twin engines in all their cars and vans. Then, in 1935, they introduced the Jowett Jason with a new horizontally apposed four-cylinder engine called a flat-four. Even though the Jowett Jason looked modern with its sloping front, people who liked more traditional cars didn't really like it. Jowett only made 105 of these cars, and today, we think only two Jowett Jasons still exist. Making this car extremely rare.

After 1935, Jowett started making cars with both two-cylinder and four-cylinder horizontally-opposed engines. We call these engines flat-twins and flat-fours. Jowett made a few commercial vehicles with four cylinder engines, but not many. Even when they closed in 1954, they were still using their trusty two-cylinder engines in their Jowett Bradford series of vehicles.

Now lets discover some fun facts about Jowett vehicles!

As I mentioned, the very first Jowett car, called the 6.4 HP Light Car, had a boat-like steering handle instead of a steering wheel.

The African Adventure: In 1926, two Jowett cars traveled 3000 miles across Africa. This was a time when Africa had hardly any roads. They carried all their fuel and spare parts in a trailer because finding them along the way was nearly impossible. In 1926, this African adventure was an epic journey!

The Fabric Saloon: Ever heard of a car with a fabric exterior? Well, the Jowett Fabric saloon was covered in a material called Rexine. Rexine looks like leather.

Too fancy for its own good: The Jowett Jason DL had a very modern design, but it was too far ahead of its time for most people. Since Jowett buyers preferred more traditional-looking cars, Jowett didn't sell many Jasons.

Look-Alike Cars: You might think the Jowett 8HP and 10HP cars are the same, but they're not! The main difference is that the 8HP had a two-cylinder engine, while the 10HP had four cylinders. You can spot the 10HP because it had louvers on the bonnet. This Jowett 10HP is currently being restored.

Extra Seats Cost Extra Money: After World War II, the British government taxed rear seats in cars, so to keep prices down, Jowett sold the Bradford Utility vehicle without rear seats. Jowett called this a utility vehicle, but it’s what we call an estate car.

Post-War Pioneers: The Jowett Javelin was the first brand-new British car after the Second World War. While other companies were still selling old designs, The Jowett Javelin was completely fresh.

Money Makers: The Jowett Bradford series, with their reliable two-cylinder engines, were a hit. They brought in good profits and kept the company going, unlike the fancier but less profitable Jowett Javelin and Jupiter models.

Missed Opportunities: Jowett had some modern designs ready to go in the 1950s.