Herbert Austin & Gordon McGregor

Throughout its early history, Canada has experienced a large amount of growth and development in the automobile industry through the efforts of many young entrepreneurs. As the economy began to evolve from horse drawn carriages to motor vehicles, these entrepreneurs took many risks, resulting in great rewards. Gordon Morton McGregor and Herbert Austin are prime examples of entrepreneurs who achieved success in the automobile industry. McGregor and Austin were two industrialists who had a large involvement in the designing and construction of many notable automobiles in the 19th century. By examining their careers which amounted to great success and prosperity, valuable similarities and differences can be drawn from their lives. The likeness in McGregor and Austin’s characters as well as their ability to find solutions to difficult situations led to power, wealth and domination of the automobile industry. Living conditions play a crucial role in shaping a person. McGregor and Austin grew up in relatively different circumstances. McGregor was born into a Canadian family of considerable wealth, having a father who owned a successful business and was mayor of Windsor. Austin was born to an English family, his father being a farmer of little means in comparison to McGregor’s family. Both men had various jobs that ultimately led them to working in the automobile industry. Austin began his venture into engineering and the auto industry earlier than McGregor did. While McGregor’s first job was at a men’s clothing store in Detroit , Austin was working as an apprentice at a Melbourne engineering firm, where his uncle was works manager. Austin went on to work at a small general engineering business, developing a new sheep shearing machine for Frederick York Woleseley . As a result of Wolseley being impressed by his engineering ability, he was persuaded to join the Woleseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company (WSSMC) as chief engineer. With this position, he was able to gain