74 EDITION 198 JAGUAR MAGAZINE
William Street, Sydney and in 1956 sponsored the Bryson Cup at the
Albert Park Olympic race meeting. A master of publicity, the final
bend before the finishing line was named ‘Jaguar Corner’ from 1953.
In 1955 his General and Continental business shrewdly bought
12 acres of industrial land at Heidelberg in Melbourne’s north. His
initial intention was to build a 70,000 square foot factory to assemble
‘Mk1’ Jaguars and minimise government taxes on imported vehicles.
Then in 1956 he gained the Simca franchise, having dropped the
Jaguar CKD build plan because of the cost. The factory was instead
used to assemble Simcas from Completely Knocked Down (CKD)
kits shipped from France, supplemented by locally sourced materials.
Simcas sold in huge numbers and were a massive success. General
and Continental Distribution entered a number of cars in the 1960
Armstrong 500 mile race at Phillip Island, taking first, second and
third places outright with its NSUs. The winning car was driven by
greats Lex Davison and Doug Whiteford and the event was televised.
NSUs were built alongside Simcas at the plant, then it added
Renault, Peugeot, Citroen and Studebaker. This is the only time in
history Renault and Peugeot have combined in a business venture. In
1964 the plant was sold to Studebaker and two years later to Renault.
Profoundly, John together with Reg Kenny, recall Jack Bryson
backed Sir William Lyons in the most profound way to save the very
existence of Jaguar Cars in 1964. Sir William rang and told him his
Company was on its knees and in danger of financial collapse.
Jack had sent Christmas food parcels annually to all of Jaguar’s
staff from the time he took over the distribution and until Sir
William asked him to stop in the early 1950s. Such was the regard the
normally private pair had for each other that without hesitation Jack
placed a large order for something beyond 200 S-Types and MkXs.
He wired the full payment on the same day, and Jaguar Cars paid
its debtors to avoid closure! Reg remembers the last of those bulk-
buy Jaguars were stored in open paddocks and needed considerable
attention before they were sold - but Brysons did sell all of them.
The MkX cost Jaguar a huge amount in rectification, and was
slow selling, and it is probable this close brush with reality forced
Sir William to merge his businesses with British Motor Corporation- without confiding with his fellow Directors. He later disclosed
development and research was beyond the reach of smaller marques.
In 1969 Jack leased his huge Bourke Street, Sydney Jaguar
showroom to the US Government which utilised it for its military
personnel on rest and recreation leave from the Vietnam War. It was
four times the size of the Chevron Hotel they had used until then.
“The two decades from the mid-1940s were the high point of my
father’s life”, said John. “Aliex gave birth to Hugh in 1944, and our
family home was on prime waterfront following a number of moves.
We holidayed on a lake-boat inland, surrogate mother Ruby was made
comfortable in a cottage in the Blue Mountains where she tended a
vast garden, and Jack was invited to join a private club created by
Prime Minister Robert Menzies. After club nights our home bar was
filled with carousing politicians and captains of industry. Bryson
Industries owned a proliferation of showrooms and workshops in
Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide while dealers were everywhere”.
Hugh adored Jaguars, remembers Reg Kenny, later Manager of
their Adelaide business. Hugh carried a brush and shovel to wipe
dirt from his shoes before he climbed in! Reg adds that Hugh was
a clone of his father and a natural in the business. He was the apple
of his father’s eye. John and Hugh both raced, which worried their
mother, John an XK140 FHC in the mid-1950s, and Hugh a factory-
built E-Type. It was followed by the Bob Jane Mk2. “Hugh was being
groomed by his father, full of energy, a gentleman and down to earth.”
On the business front, Bob Jane was heavily supported, and owned
Jaguar dealerships in Brunswick and South Yarra. Instinctively,
Jack heavily advertised in international language newspapers in
Melbourne and Sydney including the Jewish community, many of
whose members were strong buyers. Jack had a very good sense for
the real estate market, purchased all of his own business premises,
and operated heavily in commercial and domestic markets.
In his later years he was chauffeured by young Reg who said they
would often pass a building with a sale notice on it - and Jack would
demand he get the number. Reg got along very well with his mentor,
and jokingly the two called each other ‘Boss’, but Jack never discussed
any of his deals. It was said he made more from that than even car
sales. From the outset Jack owned the best premises, but cleverly
acquired them in rundown condition. They were in prime locations,
and were renovated at serious expense to exude Jaguar’s style.
John was drawn to the arts and law, and went on to become a very
senior barrister and international author.
Jack was even more fortunate too because he and Trox raised
the grand daughter of former business partner and friend, Walter
Lawson. As an eight year old Helene June Leaver (nee Fowler) walked
out on her single mother who had a serious issue with alcohol. She
trekked many miles to her grandparents, declaring she would not
return to her mother - ever. Walter and Jack officially had Helene
declared a Ward of State, after which she became a member of the
Bryson family. She was a very bright and attractive young girl who
became Jack’s secretary and ‘right hand man’. She referred to him
lovingly as ‘father' and he relied heavily on her to the very end.
Jack and Sir William Lyons had a dreaded fear of flying, which is
why they saw each other so infrequently, but from the very outset
they had that strong connection, so that Australia got the first, most(^01 02 03)