James S. Critchley
James Sidney Critchley (1865–1944) was an English mechanical engineer and early car designer. He was born in Dewsbury to William and Sarah Critchley and went to Bradford Grammar School. He trained as an engineer, working with J. Waugh in Bradford and Thomas Green and Sons in Leeds on tram locomotives, before focusing on industrial machinery.
In 1896 he was hired as works manager for the Daimler Company at Coventry Motor Mills and was known for his practical knowledge of motor engineering. In May 1898 he drove the Prince of Wales on his first road trip in England, from Warwick Castle to Compton Verney and Wellesbourne. Around 1898 he was promoted to General Manager.
Critchley left Daimler in 1901 and joined the Brush Electrical Engineering Company, which was trying car production at its Lambeth works in London. He became a founder member of the Royal Automobile Club, and in 1902 he and Frederick Simms started the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
In 1903 Crossley Brothers asked him to design a car for them. The 22 hp car appeared in 1904, followed by the 40 hp in 1906. After this project he started his own design consultancy in London. He served as president of the Institution of Automobile Engineers from 1913 to 1915. During World War I he was the chief inspector of motor transport, with the rank of captain.
After the war he returned to his consulting work. He died in 1944 in Bickley, Kent, at about age 79. He had married Annie in 1897.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:34 (CET).