Park Ward was founded in 1919 by William MacDonald Park and Charles Ward; they had worked together at F.W. Berwick Limited, the makers of Sizaire-Berwick cars. They built their first Rolls-Royce body in 1920.[1] After producing bodies for a variety of cars in the early 1920s, Park Ward became particularly associated with W O Bentley's new business, manufacturing their chassis nearby at Cricklewood.
In 1922, they were asked by Rolls-Royce to take part in a scheme to make standard bodies for their small Twenty model, but the project was abandoned, although they did build bespoke bodies for Rolls-Royce customers exhibiting a 40-50 model at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. From the mid-1920s, the company started to concentrate on Bentley and Rolls-Royce models.[2] By 1930, 90% of all of Park Ward's efforts were for Rolls-Royce.[1]
After the Rolls-Royce take-over of Bentley in 1931, Rolls-Royce took a stake in Park Ward. Beginning in 1933, when they obtained patents, Park Ward developed a technically interesting all-steel saloon in conjunction with Rolls-Royce, and from 1936 offered it on the 4¼-litre Bentley chassis.[1] These bodies were supported by Silentbloc rubber bushes to reduce road-shock engine-noise and vibration. The cars were produced in small batches, giving quite noticeable economies in manufacture, with a consequent reduction in selling price.
By 1937, as many as ten cars a week were passing through Park Ward's works, and in 1939, Rolls-Royce completed its acquisition of the business.[1][3] After World War II, Park Ward continued to produce special coachwork, and the all-steel technology was used by Rolls-Royce to produce a standard body range on its cars, starting with the Bentley Mark VI.[2]
Twenty years later, Park Ward was merged with H. J. Mulliner & Co. in 1961 to form Mulliner Park Ward.[4] Mulliner Park Ward operations were centralised in the former Park Ward factory in Willesden.[2] In 1971, the division was retitled Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd.[1]
Bugatti Royale coachwork
Captain Foster's Bugatti Royale
Captain Cuthbert W. Foster, heir to the Bird's Custard fortune, commissioned Park Ward to build a body onto his newly acquired Bugatti Royale, the fourth one built (chassis number 41-131). Fashioned on a favorite Rolls-Royce he had previously owned, the car is known as the Foster car or Limousine Park-Ward.[5]
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