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Alexander Wilson founded the company in Vauxhall, London in 1857. Originally named Alex Wilson and Company, subsequently the Vauxhall Iron Works, it built pumps and marine engines. In 1903 the company built its first car, a 5 hp (4 kW) model steered using a tiller, with only two forward gears and no reverse. This led to a better design which was made available for sale.
To expand its production the company moved to Luton in 1905. The company continued to trade under the name Vauxhall Iron Works until 1907, when the modern name of Vauxhall Motors Ltd. was adopted. The company was characterised by its sporting models, but after the First World War, designed more austere models.
In 1925 Vauxhall was bought by GM for 2.5 million US dollars. The influence of the American parent was pervasive, and together with Ford, Vauxhall's main competitor, led a wave of American-influenced styling in Europe that persisted through to the 1980s. The subsidiary constructing commercial vehicles, Bedford Vehicles was established in 1930 as the Stock Market Crash of 1929 made importing American lorries uneconomical.
