View source for Vickers plc

{{short description|Former British manufacturing company}}
{{for|other companies of the same name|Vickers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Vickers plc
| logo = Vickers plc logo.svg
| logo_size = 150
| fate = Purchased by [[Rolls-Royce plc]] and renamed Vinters Engineering
| successor = [[Vinters Engineering Limited]] and [[Alvis plc|Alvis Vickers]]
| foundation = {{ubl|{{Start date and age|1867|04|17|df=y}} as Vickers Limited|1998 renamed Vickers Engineering|2003 renamed Vinters Engineering}}
| defunct = 1999
| location = [[United Kingdom]]
| industry = Defence, engineering, marine engineering
| parent = [[Vickers-Armstrongs]]
| subsid = Vickers Defence Systems <br>[[Cosworth]]
}}

'''Vickers plc''' was the remainder of [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] after the nationalisation of three of its four operating groups: aviation (as a 50% share since 1960 of [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC) in 1977), shipbuilding ([[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering|Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group]] in 1977) and steel. It was purchased by [[Rolls-Royce plc]] in 1999, and the Vickers company name became defunct in 2003 as Rolls renamed the company [[Vinters Engineering]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00003543 | title=VINTERS ENGINEERING LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK }}</ref>

==History==
The company was created in 1977 from the rump of [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] following the nationalisation of its aviation, shipbuilding and steel businesses. The name was first used by the Vickers family for [[Vickers Limited]] – at first a Sheffield steel foundry and later a manufacturing conglomerate – from 1867 to 1927.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Vickers |title=Vickers |website=Graces Guide |access-date=2020-03-05}}</ref>

During the 1980s the company acquired businesses in the automotive engineering sector (principally [[Rolls-Royce Motors]]), the defence sector (principally [[Royal Ordnance Factory|Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds]]) and the marine engineering sector (principally [[Kamewa Waterjets|Kamewa]] and [[Ulstein Group|Ulstein]]).<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/sep/03/2 Vickers targets new military sector] The Guardian, 3 September 1999</ref>

[[Rolls-Royce plc]] purchased Vickers plc for £576 million in 1999 for its marine engineering businesses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/452127.stm |title=Business: The Company File: Rolls-Royce to buy Vickers |date=20 September 1999 |access-date=5 November 2012}}</ref>
In 2002, Vickers Defence Systems was purchased by [[Alvis plc]] to form the subsidiary [[Alvis Vickers]]. In 2003, Rolls-Royce renamed its Vickers subsidiaries Vinters Engineering plc.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rolls-royce.com/investors/reports/2003/pdf/undertakings.pdf |title=Principal subsidiary undertakings |date=31 December 2003 |website=Rolls-Royce Group |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040728002515/http://www.rolls-royce.com/investors/reports/2003/pdf/undertakings.pdf |archive-date=28 July 2004}}</ref> The Vickers name lived on in Alvis Vickers.

In 2004, the board of the parent group Alvis approved a £309m takeover bid by the American defence company [[General Dynamics]]. Within three months [[BAE Systems]], which already held a 29% stake, bid £355m for the company; this was seen as a defence of the home market from a foreign rival. The bid was accepted by the majority of shareholders. In September 2004, BAE announced the creation of [[BAE Systems Land Systems]], a new company bringing together the BAE subsidiaries, [[RO Defence]] and Alvis Vickers, which saw the end of the Vickers name after 176 years. In 2005, the acquisition of [[United Defense]] led to the creation of [[BAE Systems Land and Armaments]] Group.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4324733.stm BAE Systems to buy US rival UDI] BBC, 7 March 2005</ref>

==Businesses==

===Automotive engineering===
{{no footnotes |section |date=May 2023}}
[[File:Vickers works in Leeds.jpg|thumb|left|The Vickers plant in [[Cross Gates]], [[Leeds]], 2009|alt=]]
In 1980, Vickers plc acquired [[Rolls-Royce Motors]]. This was not Vickers' first involvement with Rolls-Royce. In 1966, [[Rolls-Royce Limited]] (the original aero-engine and motor car company) acquired [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol Aeroplane]] for its [[Bristol Siddeley]] engine business, but declared it had no interest in Bristol's 20% shareholding in BAC; [[Vickers Armstrong]] and [[English Electric]] (EE) each having 40% of BAC's shares. Despite this declaration, Rolls-Royce had not disposed of its BAC stake when the former was declared bankrupt in 1971. The 20% share was eventually acquired from receivership by Vickers and [[General Electric Company plc|GEC]] (EE's parent company). In 1990, the [[Cosworth]] automotive engineering group was purchased.

Vickers divested its automotive interests in 1998, selling Cosworth and Rolls-Royce Motors to [[Volkswagen Group]]. The disposal of Rolls-Royce was a complicated affair, involving [[BMW]] and legal issues surrounding the use of trademarks which were shared with [[Rolls-Royce plc]].

===Defence===
{{no footnotes |section |date=May 2023}}
In 1986, [[Royal Ordnance Factory|Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds]] was purchased and became the core of '''Vickers Defence Systems'''. These interests were primarily centred on land warfare products and brought the [[Challenger 1]] tank into Vickers' portfolio. Vickers would later develop this into the [[Challenger 2]], the current main battle tank of the [[British Army]] and Oman. In 1999 [[Reumech]], owner of [[Land Systems OMC|OMC]], the South African defence company was purchased and renamed as '''Vickers OMC'''. In 2004, Vickers OMC was sold to [[BAE Systems]].

===Marine engineering===
Since 1970, Vickers had been the parent of the Scottish [[Brown Brothers (engineering)|Brown Brothers]] group, which produced marine steering gear and stabilisers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brown_Brothers_and_Co|title=Brown Brothers and Co|website=Graces Guide|access-date=2020-03-05}}</ref> In 1986, it purchased [[Kamewa Waterjets|Kamewa]], a Swedish manufacturer of [[pump-jet|waterjet]]s, followed in 1998 by [[Ulstein Group|Ulstein]] (Norway), a major marine propulsion and engineering company. The companies were formed up as Vickers Ulstein Marine.<ref>[http://www.rolls-royce.com/marine/about/experience/default.jsp Rolls-Royce Marine]</ref>

==References==

<references/>

*[http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/WebCHeck/fastrack/ Companies House]. Retrieved 22 June 2006

==External links==
* {{PM20|FID=co/024152|TEXT=Documents and clippings about|NAME=}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickers Plc}}
[[Category:Vickers| ]]
[[Category:Defunct manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defence companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Scotswood]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1999]]