X-Nico

4 unusual facts about Vickers plc


Brown Brothers

Brown Brothers (engineering) a Scottish engineering company incorporated into Vickers plc

K1 88-Tank

It was developed from 1988 to 1992 with help from Vickers Defense Systems.

Vickers plc

During the 1980s the company acquired businesses in the Automotive Engineering sector (principally Rolls-Royce Motors), the Defence sector (principally Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds) and the Marine Engineering sector (principally Kamewa and Ulstein).

In 1986, it purchased Kamewa a Swedish manufacturer of waterjets, followed in 1998 by Ulstein (Norway), a major marine propulsion and engineering company.


Goodwood plant

After BMW bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand as applied to motor cars from Vickers plc, it required a new manufacturing plant in which to build the new cars.

ROF Leeds

The problems associated with ROF Leeds were solved when Royal Ordnance agreed the sale of the factory and intellectual property rights of the Challenger tanks to Vickers plc on 4 October 1986, the final agreement was signed on 31 March 1987 valuing ROF Leeds at £15.2 million.


see also

Paul Buysse

In 1998 he became CEO of Vickers plc (London), after which he joined the Bekaert Group in 2000.