Madelvic Car Factory and subsequent companies

West Granton Road

Granton

The Location

Madelvic Car Factory off West Shore Road, Granton, is the oldest surviving car factory in Britain.  Granton lies beside the Firth of Forth, about three miles north of  the centre of Edinburgh.

An aerial view of United Wire Works, off West Granton Road, SW of Granton Harbour ©

The Car Factory

The Madelvic Car Factory has seen many uses since 1898.  It is currently being redeveloped as housing and work units as part of the Edinburgh Waterfront Development.

Here are some of the earlier users of this building:

Madelvic Motors

 electric cars

1898-1900

A Madelvic '5-wheel' electric car  built at Granton, 1898-1900 ©

Kingsburgh Motor Co 

cars

1900-1902

A Kingsburgh car  built at the former Madelvic Car Factory, Granton, 1900-02 ©

Stirling Motor Carriages 

buses and lorries

1902-1905

A Stirling bus,  built at the former Madelvic Car Factory, Granton, 1902-05, and delivered to Orkney ©

Stirling buses,  built at the former Madelvic Car Factory, Granton, 1902-05, and delivered to Perth, Western Australia ©

Stirling Lorries,  built at the former Madelvic Car Factory, Granton, 1902-05 ©

Scottish Motor Engineering

1905-c.1908

 

Granton Engineering

c.1908-1912

 

[during World War 1]

storage of torpedoes

1914-19

 

United Wire Works

administrative offices then wire production

1925-2001

The Company Car at the entrance to United Wire Works, Granton Park Avenue, Granton ©

Four Lorries bellonging to United Wire Works, Granton Park Avenue, Granton ©

Waterfront Edinburgh

offices then to be redeveloped
as apartments and live-in work units

from 2001

 

Acknowledgements

1. Stranger on the Shore  [James Gracie].  Argyll Publishing, 2003.

2.  Wikipedia web site

3.  Granton History Group web site

3.  Photos:  Robert Grieves Collection

 

United Wire Works  - photos

Photos of Granton

Around Edinburgh

 

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