Education
Spurrier (Henry III) was educated at Repton School, and started working life as an apprentice in his grandfather"s firm.
Spurrier (Henry III) was educated at Repton School, and started working life as an apprentice in his grandfather"s firm.
Spurrier"s grandfather, also Henry, was one of the two Spurrier brothers who founded a company in 1896 to produce steam powered, and later petrol powered, commercial vehicles. The company was renamed Leyland Motors in 1907. In 1919 Spurrier"s father, another Henry, took charge of the company.
During World War I he was a pilot lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps, and served in Mesopotamia and India.
Immediately after the war Spurrier involved himself in car development, working with the chief engineer at Leyland Motors, J.G. Parry-Thomas and with his assistant Reid Railton. They produced a luxury touring car the Leyland Eight, with which they intended to compete with Rolls-Royce.
lieutenant was exhibited at the 1920 London motor show, only eight however, were ever built. After his father"s death, Spurrier progressed to become Managing Director of Leyland Motors in 1949.
Spurrier was knighted in 1955.
Spurrier retired in 1963 and died twelve months later in June 1964. Donald Stokes, his appointed successor, originally a Leyland student apprentice and managing director of Leyland Motors Limited since 1962 was to take his place as chairman in 1966.