The Telegraph & Argus celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and in honour of the occasion we are printing a story from our archives every day for 150 days.

Today we look at the Telegraph & Argus Tuesday 30 July 1968: The death of 84-year-old Mr. Walter Jowett, the last of the original team had once again closed the doors to one of Bradford’s most successful car businesses. Cousin to brothers William and Benjamin Jowett, who founded the car company at the turn of the century, it was his job to sell the cars they made.

After the 1914-18 war, Jowett Ltd had moved from their humble beginnings to a new site in Idle, manufacturing cars equal to any of the monsters of the Midlands. By the Second World War the Jowett company was in a unique position, with many skilled staff able to produce prototypes of new weapons quickly. As a result, they produced £5 million worth of munitions ranging from complete gun carriages to parts of Rolls Royce Merlin engines, aircraft propeller adaptors and hundreds of different airframe and aero engine parts.

Doubling in size the Idle factory then began work on the first post-war British car, the Javelin, which appeared in 1947. By 1953 the company had started to run into difficulties before ceasing production in 1954. The Jowett name however continues to thrive thanks to the Jowett Car Club.