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Even before the First World War, Scottish car manufacturers faced the challenge of persuading customers that cars could be built in Scotland as well as in England. And knowledge of American car assembly methods, using production lines, was spreading to Europe. In this useful source extract, one of Scotland's leading car manufacturers claims that by using a combination of craft skills and modern production line methods, he can build cars at a reasonable price that many families could afford. He claims that the cars coming out of the factory he has designed, will be neither luxury nor cheaply mass produced American style.

Arrol-Johnston 15.9 horse power tourer

Arrol-Johnston 15.9 horse power tourer

Built Scotland 1912. This was Arrol-Johnston's most popular pre-war model.

1913 Speech given by Thomas Pullanger, Arrol-Johnstone's General Manager, at the opening of a new Scottish car factory. He was dispelling doubts which had been raised by a popular motoring magazine, which had questioned whether cars should be built anywhere other than the Midlands.

"We have built our car plant here because the conditions are conducive to the health of the workers. The raw materials are easy to obtain for manufacture. The facilities for the dispatch of finished goods are unrivalled and there is no problem with finding staff. I should like to pay high tribute to Mr William Beardmore, who has generously allowed me to have my own way in building this factory and was always ready to back me up to the full.

I have, I admit, adopted some American methods, in so far as they will help reduce costs to the customer. However quality will always be pre-eminent. Indeed, we intend neither to build a car for the millionaire nor by the million, but for the man of moderate means."