AWD
All Wheel Drive Company Limited was started in early 1954. This firm was originally based at Bilston, Wolverhampton, England, but later moved down to larger premises at Camberley in Surrey and became more commonly known by the initials AWD. They were founded by A. J. F. Andrews, a mechanical enginneer who formerly worked for Gardner, the engine specialists. Later he moved to Cheshire Engineering.
The AWD company was manufacturing and offering goods vehicles and other standard trucks all converted to all wheel drive for special roles such as AEC, FORD, LEYLAND, SEDDON and many other makes. Also AWD produced special rugged chassis with off-road 4WD, 6WD and 8WD axles and transmissions for several British domestic manufacturers of loaders, mobile-cranes and dump trucks.
The AWD Company Limited also assembled and distributed in Europe, the USA based manufacturer Clark-Michigan range of earthmovers, mainly 4X4 loaders after 1961. Later in 1962 AJF Andrews left AWD of the UK and he joined the Northamerican giant Clark-Michigan company. Soon another major English firm called Vickers, bought AWD CO LTD and they took over its lorry conversion business which was quickly renamed Vickers-AWD Limited. The new firm moved again from Camberley in Surrey to South Marston near Swindon in Wiltshire where a much larger factory was engaged in offroad vehicles assembling/rebuilding until it was bought by Jones Cranes Limited for making their own cranecarriers and mobilecranes of all types.
