“Samuel Shortall, however, isn’t your typical classic car owner. He is only 17 years old”
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The start of this zesty wee story was born out of a company that found its feet producing not automobiles but bicycles and motorbikes. Formed in 1874, in Coventry, England, the firm was initially known as ‘Singer & Company’. Its last batch of motorcycles would roll off the production line in 1915, coinciding with the development of its first car. The launch of the ‘Ten’ made waves, with its beautifully unique, economical, lightweight, and simple design instantly satisfying customers who needed more than a motorcycle but less than a full-size car.
William Rootes, an employee at Singer, was so taken by the Ten that he bought 50 of them at launch, all the units that Singer made that year. The following year, along with his brother, he formed the Rootes Group. William maintained an interest in the Singer company, and, in 1956, took the plunge, buying it outright and folding it into the Rootes portfolio.
Another Rootes brand in the ’50s was Hillman, which produced a range of small family cars. In
