Married Florence on 21FEB1914. Had four children. One child, Florence, died shortly thereafter. Daughters, Doris born 11MAR1916, Joan born 05OCT1917, and Diane born 06JUL1928. Sisters were Doris & Charlotte (Lotte). Brother was Fred. Father was Joshua Bowron and he was a watch finisher.
Walter began working at the Rover when they made bicycles when he was only 13. In 1908, when he was 20, and after Henry Ford began mass producing the Model T, he traveled by boat to the US. He met Henry Ford at his home at Fair Lane and was told by Mr. Ford to: "get your limey-ass back on that boat, cause no one in America is ever going to buy a foreign car." For the next 4 years, he traveled about the Northeastern US (where the concentration of Ford Automobile dealers were) and copied engine components and drawings + literature and sent it back to England. While he was in the US, the Rover developed motorized bicycles, and by the time he got back to the UK, the Rover was making automobiles after designs of the Model T.
He continued to work at the Rover as an engineer, retooled the plant for war duty during WW II, and then in 1946, he and two others (Nellie Griffis and an unknown) were asked by the Queen to build an "American Jeep". He was asked personally by the Queen who came to his office and talked to him about the project. This was in 1946.
In 1947, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line. He stayed on until a heart attack in 1964, but consulted until his death in 1974 after working for the Rover almost 70 years. He signed every production car that rolled off the line in the final assembly log.
Walter began working at the Rover when they made bicycles when he was only 13. In 1908, when he was 20, and after Henry Ford began mass producing the Model T, he traveled by boat to the US. He met Henry Ford at his home at Fair Lane and was told by Mr. Ford to: "get your limey-ass back on that boat, cause no one in America is ever going to buy a foreign car." For the next 4 years, he traveled about the Northeastern US (where the concentration of Ford Automobile dealers were) and copied engine components and drawings + literature and sent it back to England. While he was in the US, the Rover developed motorized bicycles, and by the time he got back to the UK, the Rover was making automobiles after designs of the Model T.
He continued to work at the Rover as an engineer, retooled the plant for war duty during WW II, and then in 1946, he and two others (Nellie Griffis and an unknown) were asked by the Queen to build an "American Jeep". He was asked personally by the Queen who came to his office and talked to him about the project. This was in 1946.
In 1947, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line. He stayed on until a heart attack in 1964, but consulted until his death in 1974 after working for the Rover almost 70 years. He signed every production car that rolled off the line in the final assembly log.
Married Florence on 21FEB1914. Had four children. One child, Florence, died shortly thereafter. Daughters, Doris born 11MAR1916, Joan born 05OCT1917, and Diane born 06JUL1928. Sisters were Doris & Charlotte (Lotte). Brother was Fred. Father was Joshua Bowron and he was a watch finisher.
Walter began working at the Rover when they made bicycles when he was only 13. In 1908, when he was 20, and after Henry Ford began mass producing the Model T, he traveled by boat to the US. He met Henry Ford at his home at Fair Lane and was told by Mr. Ford to: "get your limey-ass back on that boat, cause no one in America is ever going to buy a foreign car." For the next 4 years, he traveled about the Northeastern US (where the concentration of Ford Automobile dealers were) and copied engine components and drawings + literature and sent it back to England. While he was in the US, the Rover developed motorized bicycles, and by the time he got back to the UK, the Rover was making automobiles after designs of the Model T.
He continued to work at the Rover as an engineer, retooled the plant for war duty during WW II, and then in 1946, he and two others (Nellie Griffis and an unknown) were asked by the Queen to build an "American Jeep". He was asked personally by the Queen who came to his office and talked to him about the project. This was in 1946.
In 1947, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line. He stayed on until a heart attack in 1964, but consulted until his death in 1974 after working for the Rover almost 70 years. He signed every production car that rolled off the line in the final assembly log.
Walter began working at the Rover when they made bicycles when he was only 13. In 1908, when he was 20, and after Henry Ford began mass producing the Model T, he traveled by boat to the US. He met Henry Ford at his home at Fair Lane and was told by Mr. Ford to: "get your limey-ass back on that boat, cause no one in America is ever going to buy a foreign car." For the next 4 years, he traveled about the Northeastern US (where the concentration of Ford Automobile dealers were) and copied engine components and drawings + literature and sent it back to England. While he was in the US, the Rover developed motorized bicycles, and by the time he got back to the UK, the Rover was making automobiles after designs of the Model T.
He continued to work at the Rover as an engineer, retooled the plant for war duty during WW II, and then in 1946, he and two others (Nellie Griffis and an unknown) were asked by the Queen to build an "American Jeep". He was asked personally by the Queen who came to his office and talked to him about the project. This was in 1946.
In 1947, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line. He stayed on until a heart attack in 1964, but consulted until his death in 1974 after working for the Rover almost 70 years. He signed every production car that rolled off the line in the final assembly log.
