DENNIS SPECIALIST VEHICLES LTD AND PREDECESSOR COMPANIES, GUILDFORD: RECORDS

The principal series of records deposited include directors' minute books, annual reports and accounts, 1901-1974; financial records, 1901-1967; property records, 1905-1954; royal warrants, patents and trademarks, 1895-1972; personnel records, 1902-2001; sales records, c.1915-2000; customer order books, 1905-1984; vehicle production registers, 1908-1995; chassis books, 1921-1966; engine books, 1920-1974; works production orders, 1910-1995; vehicle handbooks and brochures, 1902-2001; press reports, 1907-2002; engineering drawings, 1903-2001; photographs and films, 1908-1970s.

The easiest way to trace a Dennis vehicle is by its chassis number. It is also possible to trace a vehicle by its engine number, although this depends on knowing the type of engine the vehicle was fitted with. The chassis books (1463/CB/1-6) and engine books (1463/EB/1-7) should be consulted first. The chassis book gives type of vehicle, chassis number, date vehicle left works, engine number, customer name, and order number. The engine book gives engine details, chassis number, customer, order number, and date vehicle left works. The order number can be used to find further information in the customer order books, which gives brief details of the vehicle(s), including price and the number of vehicles ordered. Works production orders give details of the vehicle and equipment fitted. After c.1945 there were two forms of WPOs, one covering the chassis, the other the work from the body shop. Further information relating to individual vehicles or vehicle types may be found in the photographs, drawings, brochures and handbooks.

The following is a detailed summary of the contents:

1463/1/ INCORPORATION AND SHAREHOLDERS 1901-1970
1463/2/ DIRECTORS' MINUTE BOOKS AND SEAL BOOK 1901-1974
1463/3/ DIRECTORS' REPORTS AND ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 1910-1971
1463/CERT/1/ ROYAL WARRANTS 1928-1960
1463/CERT/2/ FACTORY VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES 1904-1960s
1463/AA/ AGENCY AGREEMENTS 1907-1962
1463/HP/ HIRE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS 1916-1919
1463/LIC/ LICENCES 1918-1919
1463/LH/ LETTER HEADS EARLY 20TH CENT
1463/DMH/ DENNIS MOTOR HOLDINGS LTD 1972
1463/HD/ HESTAIR DENNIS 1951-1977 Hestair Ltd took over Dennis Motor Holdings Ltd in 1972.
1463/WP/ WHITE AND POPPE LTD, COVENTRY 1910-1952 See also 1463/EB/-.
1463/DP/ DENNIS PORTLAND LIMITED 1919-1930
1463/DC/ DENNIS CONTRACTS LIMITED 1929-1951
1463/DH/ DENNIS HIRE [1960s]
1463/AB/ ACCOUNT BOOKS 1901-1942
1463/TA/ ESTIMATED COMPARATIVE TRADING ACCOUNTS 1914-1958
1463/J/ JOURNALS 1913-1967
1463/TJ/ TRANSFER JOURNALS 1940-1961 Details company's name, folio number, columns marked A-F, G-P and Q-Z, COD A M and WO P.B.
1463/PROP/1/ WOODBRIDGE HILL FACTORY, GUILDFORD 1912-1954
1463/PROP/2/ OTHER GUILDFORD PROPERTY 1905-1950
1463/PROP/3/ WHITE AND POPPE FACTORY, COVENTRY 1935
1463/PROP/4/ H ASHENDEN LIMITED 1944-1946
1463/WB/ WORKSHOP BOILERS 1919-1925
1463/IP/ INSURANCE POLICIES 1907-1920
1463/S/ REGISTERS OF DIRECTORS c.1928-1948
1463/SCB/ DIRECTORS AND HEADS OF DEPARMENTS SALARIES AND BONUS BOOKS 1922-1951
1463/WSB/ WEEKLY SALARY BOOKS 1904-1939 Gives details of Dennis employees' names and salary per week or fortnight.
1463/MWB/ WAGES BOOKS 1933-1953
1463/GR/ REGISTERS RECORDING DENNIS UNDER-AGE EMPLOYEES; LIME WASHING; ACCIDENTS; STEAM BOILER INSPECTIONS AND POISONING 1902-1940
1463/AC/ ACCIDENT BOOK 1929-1933
1463/APP/ APPRENTICESHIPS 1918-1964
1463/EBF/ EMPLOYEES BENEVOLENT FUND 1933-1953
1463/PEN/ PENSIONS 1951-1974
1463/WN/ WORKS NOTICES 1940-1964
1463/SB/ STAFF BENEFITS AND EMPLOYMENT 1953-1976
1463/MAG/ STAFF MAGAZINE [1969]-2001
1463/DAC/ DENNIS ATHLETIC CLUB 1913-1972
1463/VP/ VEHICLE PRODUCTION 1908-1995
The vehicle production records of Dennis Brothers Ltd of Guildford include registers of vehicle production, works production orders, pumping sets, trailer pumps, fire appliances, municipal vehicles and trucks.
1463/CB/ CHASSIS BOOKS 1921-1966
The Dennis chassis books gives type of vehicle, chassis number, date vehicle left works, engine number, customer name, and order number.
1463/EB/ ENGINE BOOKS 1920-1974
1463/COB/ CUSTOMER ORDER BOOKS 1905-1984
Customer order books record every Dennis vehicle ordered with details of their individual specifications. Volumes are usually dedicated to one class of vehicles, although there are also general 'export' and 'miscellaneous' volumes. Vehicles include fire engines, lorries, buses, coaches, municipal vehicles and lawn mower. The customer order books all include the following details: order number; date of order; customer's name and price (with index). Other details in individual volumes are noted below.
1463/COB/HO/ HOME OFFICE CUSTOMER ORDER BOOKS 1938-1945
1463/ST/ STOCKTAKING 1945-1949
1463/VC/ VEHICLE COSTINGS 1954-1976
1463/CON/ CONTRACTS FOR VEHICLES 1945-1965
1463/PAT/ PATENTS 1896-1972
The papers include patents and related correspondence and papers for Dennis vehicles and components including bicycles, cars, carriages, charabancs, fire engines, refuse collection vehicles, dustbins, lorries, municipal vehicles, buses, lawn mowers, Mercury aircraft loaders, chassis, engines and gearboxes.
1463/TM/ DENNIS TRADE MARKS 1920-1972
1463/WPO/ WORKS PRODUCTION ORDERS 1910-1995
Works production orders are arranged alphabetically by customers' name. Works production orders give details of the vehicle and equipment fitted. After c.1945 there were two forms of WPOs, one covering the chassis, the other the work from the body shop.
1463/BOM/ SPECIFICATIONS OF MATERIALS: COMPONENTS AND SUB-ASSEMBLIES 1909-1975
The specification sheets for parts of vehicles include description, part number and quantity, material, pattern number, and remarks.
1463/SS/ SPECIFICATION SHEETS 1954-1977 The specification sheets give description, part number, quantity and remarks.
1463/DS/ ENGINEERING DATA SHEETS 1943-1972
1463/BCS/ BODY COMPONENT SCHEDULES 1956-1969 Gives name of vehicle chassis and body, part number, description, quantity, material number and remarks.
1463/ESS/ ENGINE SUMMARY SHEETS 1942-1957 Gives a description of the engine and a guide to list sheet numbers for individual parts of the engine.
1463/CT/ CHASSIS TYPES ARRANGED BY NUMERICAL SPECIFICATION 1946-1984
1463/CRC/ CHASSIS RECORD CARDS 1944-1977
The information given for chassis record cards includes works production order number, customer name, chassis number, type of vehicle, date build commenced, and details of major units and components of the vehicle (make and type, part number and serial number).

1463/P/ ENGINEERING DRAWINGS 1900-2002
The engineering drawings series comprises over 11,000 drawings of all types of vehicles manufactured by Dennis Brothers Ltd. The drawings preserved were selected from a very large series. The selection aimed to retain general arrangement drawings and others that illustrated vehicle construction and design. Drawings of individual parts were only retained where the item was significant. In the following catalogue the drawings are arranged by product type, vehicle or engine type and date. The product types include aircraft loader, ambulance, armoured car, axle, body, brakes, bus, cab, car, charabanc, chassis, clutch, commercial, engine, fire boat, fire engine, fire pump, gearbox, ladder, lamnmower, lorry, military, municipal, passenger, pumps, refuse lorry, tanker, tractor and van. Information given in the catalogue includes product type, vehicle or engine type, date, drawing size, drawing number, description, comments and reference number. Abbreviations used in the catalogue include: SV: Side Valve; OHV: Overhead Valve; OHC: Overhead Camshaft; VP: Vertical Primer; HP: Horizontal Primer or Horse Power; FC: Forward Control; NC: Normal Control; W/B: Wheel Base; X member: Cross member; N/S: Near Side; O/S: Off Side; F/A: First Aid; WPO: Works Production Order; GA: General Arrangement; FWD: Four Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive; PTO: Power Take Off; UF: Under Floor; TTL: Turntable Ladder; TL: Turntable Ladder; LHD: Left Hand Drive; RHD: Right Hand Drive

1463/TR/ TRACINGS REGISTER AND RECORD KEEPING NOTES 1946-1992
1463/HK/FE/ FIRE ENGINES HANDBOOKS [c.1910]-1994
1463/HK/TP/ STATIONARY AND TRAILER PUMPS HANDBOOKS 1929-[c.1967]
1463/HK/L/ LORRIES HANDBOOKS 1920-[c.1980]
1463/HK/M/ MUNICIPAL VEHICLES HANDBOOKS 1952-1980
1463/HK/RV/ REFUSE VEHICLES HANDBOOKS 1943-[c.1986]
1463/HK/B/ BUSES HANDBOOKS 1928-1995
1463/HK/A/ AMBULANCES HANDBOOKS [c.1953-c.1960]
1463/HK/LM/ LAWN MOWERS HANDBOOKS 1934-1971
1463/HK/E/ ENGINES HANDBOOKS [c.1915-c.1960]
1463/HK/ MISCELLANEOUS HANDBOOKS 1962-[c.1980]
1463/HK/OF/ HANDBOOKS OF OTHER FIRMS 1926-[1984]
1463/DB/ VEHICLE SERVICE BULLETINS 1950-1969
1463/SF/ SALES FIGURES 1922-[1971]
1463/CF/ CUSTOMER FILES 1917-1978
1463/CC/ CUSTOMER CARD INDEX c.1915-1960
The index was originally in six drawers, five of which contained cards of vehicles bought by local government authorities. The sixth drawer contained export vehicles and vehicle alteration cards. The cards give the local authority, chassis number, engine number, and date. Later cards also give the wheelbase, cab, if the vehicle is normal control or forward control, works production order number, price, finish, agent etc. The cards are not complete.
1463/D/ DISTRIBUTORS [1960s]-1972
1463/AD/ ADVERTISING 1976-1978
1463/N/ CUSTOMER NEWSLETTER 1996-2000
1463/PUB/ EARLY DENNIS PUBLICATIONS 1902-1925
1463/PUB/ FIRE ENGINES BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1920-1993
1463/PUB/ TRAILER PUMPS AND PUMPS BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1915-c.1970
1463/PUB/ LORRIES BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS [1915]-1975
1463/PUB/ MUNICIPAL VEHICLES BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1935-[1980s]
1463/PUB/ BUSES BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS [c.1905-c.1984]
1463/PUB/ AMBULANCES 1959-1969
1463/PUB/ MERCURY BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS [c.1965-c.1975]
1463/PUB/ LAWN MOWERS BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1947-[c.1973]
1463/PUB/ VEHICLE PARTS BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1963-1983
1463/PUB/ DENNIS COMPANIES BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS 1981-2001
1463/PUB/ OTHER FIRMS BROCHURES AND LEAFLETS [c.1916-2001]
1463/PC/ GENERAL PRESS CUTTINGS 1907-2002
For albums containing press cuttings for Jan 1923-May 1925; May 1927-Oct 1929; and May 1946-Dec 1951, see 7180/1/1-3.
1463/PR/ INDIVDUAL VEHICLE TYPES PRESS CUTTINGS 1951-2000
1463/PHTALB/ PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS 1907-1970s
For other photograph albums from this series, 1920s-1940s, see 5016/3-4 and 7180/2/1-3.
1463/PHT/ LOOSE PHOTOGRAPHS 1920s - 1960s
1463/NR/ NEGATIVES REGISTERS 1956-1970 For register, 1929-1931, including earlier information on negatives printed during the period, see 10022/1.
1463/GN/ NEGATIVES 1910s - 1970s
1463/FN/ FILM NEGATIVES 1970S
1463/MCF/ MICROFICHE 1950s-1960s
1463/R/ 8MM FILMS 1968-1976 The films are held at the South East Film and Video archive.
1463/F/ 16MM FILMS [c.1966-c.1974] The films are held at the South East Film and Video archive. A video copy of -/F/FE/2 and -/F/MV/1 is held as F/11.
1463/CH/ COMPANY HISTORY 1945-1978

John Dennis (1871-1939) opened his 'little cycle shop', otherwise known as the Universal Athletic Stores, near Guildford Bridge, in 1895. Soon he was joined by his brother Raymond Dennis (1878-1939), and the partners progressed from 'Speed King' bicycles, through motor tricycles (1899), and a motor quadricycle (1900), to Dennis cars (1901-1902). In 1900 the business expanded into the old barracks in Friary Street, and in 1901 a factory was built at the corner of Onslow Street and Bridge Street, later known as Rodboro Buildings. Though enlarged in 1903 and 1905, it was still too small for the company's needs, so in August 1905 the first workshop was built on a site at Woodbridge Hill. A further 10 workshops were built between 1910 and 1936 on what became a 31 acre site. In 1911 the entire factory moved to Woodbridge Hill leaving the offices in Onslow Street until 1919 when the building was sold to the Rodboro Boot and Shoe Company. The company remained at Woodbridge Hill until 1990 when it moved to Slyfield Industrial Estate, Guildford.

Dennis Brothers Limited, a private company, was formed in July 1901 with 4 directors, 7 subscribers, and a capital of £7500, increased to £100,000 in 1906. Dennis Brothers (1913) Ltd was floated as a public company with £300,000 of share capital in March 1913. In 1918 the company returned to its original name of Dennis Brothers Ltd. John and Raymond Dennis were joint managing directors. Raymond, who was knighted in 1920, was an inspired sales director, making Dennis vehicles known throughout the world.

In 1919 a 'fusion of interests' amalgamated Dennis with White and Poppe, the Coventry based engine manufacturers, much of whose output of engines had been used in Dennis vehicles since at least 1909. A J White and P A Poppe joined the Dennis board and the Dennis capital was increased to £600,000.

In 1920 a subsidiary company, Dennis Portland, was floated to market the 2/2½ ton chassis, and in 1929 another subsidiary, Dennis Contracts, was created to operate a hire-purchase scheme. In 1933 White and Poppe engine manufacturing was moved from Coventry to Guildford. In 1934 land was acquired for Dennisville, just west of the factory, with the aim of providing housing for workers. In 1962 the Fire Appliance section of Alfred Miles was acquired and in 1964 the Mercury Truck and Tractor Company. Between 1969 and 1972 company rearrangements failed to keep the business in profit, despite continuing large orders, and this ended with a takeover by Hestair in 1972. The Hestair Company had been formed in 1970 by the takeover of the former Heston Airport Company by David Hargreaves, backed by Bankers Trust International. Hestair had previously acquired Yorkshire Vehicles Ltd, makers of tankers and road sweeper bodies, and Eagle Engineering, manufacturers of tankers and refuse bodies.

In 1973 the firm was called Dennis Motors Ltd and from 1977 to 1985 Hestair Dennis. In 1984 Hestair Dennis decided to concentrate on building just chassis, relying on other firms to build the bodies of the vehicles. The following year the company was renamed Dennis Specialist Vehicles. Also in 1985, John Dennis, grandson of the founder, started his own works in Guildford, known as John Dennis Coachbuilders.

In 1989 Hestair's vehicle building business was bought by a new company, Trinity Holdings. In 1990 Dennis Specialist Vehicles moved to new premises on the Slyfield Industrial Estate, in Guildford. The company was subsequently acquired by the Mayflower Corporation. The Mayflower Corporation formed TransBus International in January 2001, comprising Walter Alexander Coachbuilders, Plaxton and Dennis. The Mayflower group went into administration on 31 March 2004. Plaxton returned to independent ownership, and the remainder of the company was bought by a group of independent businessmen in May 2004, and was henceforth known as Alexander Dennis.

The company has produced many types of vehicles during its history. Cars were produced from 1901 to c.1913, buses from 1903, vans and lorries from 1904, fire engines from 1908 (the first one being supplied to the city of Bradford), ambulances from 1909, cesspool and gully emptiers and refuse vehicles from 1921, lawn mowers and trailer fire pumps from 1922.

New models in all these fields appeared frequently and there were many variants with for example different wheelbase lengths and engines. During both world wars production was devoted to the war effort, including 7000 subsidy vehicles supplied to the War Office in 1914-1918, and lorries, agricultural vehicles and Churchill tanks in World War II.

A pattern of experiments and development went on continually. A worm-driven rear axle was patented in 1904, ensuring a long-lasting and smooth transmission. New models appeared almost every year, including for example the E type low line bus chassis (1925); the 12 ton 6 cyclinder chassis for big buses (1929); Lancet bus chassis (1931); diesel engine (1931); F1 and F3 fire engines (1946); Paxit Major refuse collector (1952); forward entrance Loline double deck bus (1958); dust-less refuse collecting vehicle (1959); F26 fire engine and the Delta chassis (1961); F117 'Snorkel' fire engine (1963); R series fire engines (1976); Dart bus (1989) and Rapier fire engine (1991).

An important feature of Dennis production was the making of all vehicles to order. The company established a reputation as 'a highly specialised producer of quality vehicles to specific requirements'. Each vehicle had its own individual features as specified by the customer, as the works production orders make clear.

The records have been arranged in a number of overall series, comprising official records of the company and its subsidiaries, finance, property, personnel, vehicle production, handbooks, sales, brochures, press reports, photographs and films, and company history. An alphanumeric numbering scheme was devised relevant to individual series of records.

Records less than 30 years old are closed to public inspection.

Deposited by Hestair Dennis and Dennis Specialist Vehicles Ltd, between April 1983 and December 2002.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue , including some images of fire engines and other vehicles made by the company.

For Dennis Brothers Ltd publicity photographs and press cuttings, 1919-1940, see 5016; for vehicle advertisements, brochures and leaflets, 1961-1966, see 1722; for vehicle handbooks and photographs, 1920-1930, see 5011 and 5030; for technical drawings, 1930-1961, see Zg/30 and Zg/81; for passenger service vehicle chassis lists, 1946-1968, see 5012; for newspaper cuttings books, 1923-1951, and photograph albums, 1920s-1939, see 7180; for a product catalogue, c.1905, see Zg/98; for employees' papers, reminiscences and photographs, 20th cent, see 5028, 5108, 5252 and 5392; for records of Dennis Foster, sales director (1960-1970), 1963-1973, see 1720; for a film entitled 'The Dennis Factory and their Products', nd [c.1968], see F11. Other collections of records deposited from various sources include 7935, 8228, 8273, 8343, 8490, 8531, 8709, 8884, 8886, 9248, 9401, 9483, 9743, 10022 and 10121.

R Twelvetrees and P Squire, Why Dennis - And How , (Guildford, 1945);
P Kennett, Dennis, World Trucks No. 6 (P Stephens, Cambridge, 1979);
R N Hannay, Dennis Buses in Camera (Ian Allan, London, 1980);
Autobus Review, '75 years of Dennis Buses and Coaches', (1980);
S Corke, 'Dennis of Guildford: an introduction to the firm and its records', Surrey History, vol III, no.3 (1986);
N Baldwin, The illustrated history of Dennis buses and trucks (Haynes, Yeovil, 1987);
S Brown, Dennis – 100 years of innovation (Ian Allan, Shepperton, 1995);
S Morris, 'Dennis at 100: Britain's leading bus manufacturer in its centenary year', in Buses Focus (Ian Allan, Autumn 1995)
Andy Goundry, Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles , (The Crowood Press Ltd, 2020)

For recent company history see the following websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dennis and https://www.alexander-dennis.com/about-us/our-history/