Lucas Automotive. Proud Past. Exciting Future.

Let me say at the outset, I’m not quite sure what this piece is – maybe part blog, part testimonial, but it makes for a good story anyway. And you’ll see why I’m writing it when you get to the end, if you make it that far!

Lucas is a rare beast – a survivor brand from the days of the British dominance of the Global motor industry, when the UK reigned supreme in all things to do with cars and the names of most models were recognised and eagerly anticipated around the world. Some, like Jaguar, were revered, respected and highly sought after, defining every era of motoring history from 50s luxury to 60s swing, with the E-Type still rated amongst the most beautiful cars ever designed. Some others names from that era, such as British Leyland, are remembered not quite so fondly, but all played their role in advancing the technological boundaries of the car along the way to the super reliable, efficient machinery we drive today.

Lucas started around 135 years ago – making it the longest continuously trading automotive brand in history – as a component maker in Birmingham, UK, although it originally made lights for a diverse range of uses including bicycles. The old brass Lucas car headlamps are today highly collectable and valuable items.

The years rolled on and along the way, Lucas developed into a global automotive and aerospace goliath, employing tens of thousands of highly skilled engineers, sales people and marketeers in every corner of the globe, supplying both the vehicle makers and the service aftermarket. Many patents are still in use today, including one for a brake caliper that has sold more than any other and is still fitted as original equipment to many prestige car marques.

A period of consolidation followed and the Lucas name became part of TRW, a US-based global corporate that specialises in chassis safety systems, including braking, steering and suspension systems and airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels and much more.

None of which really explains why 28 people gathered together in The Hague last week to meet up in the awesome Louwman Museum (the leading automotive museum in Europe).

But the reason is simple. Lucas didn’t ever go away. Whilst the TRW brand became ever stronger at both OE and aftermarket levels, the fame and global acceptance of the Lucas brand was eagerly seized upon by a worldwide network of aftermarket manufactures and distributors to run Lucas-branded product programmes. Whilst remaining under TRW management, this group has taken the Lucas brand and made it stronger than ever, not only in its original core areas of electrical products, but into new areas such as driveline, engine drive, diesel and others. Lucas is now back with a nine-figure global turnover and, 135 years after Joseph Lucas made his first bike lamp, an ambitious plan to be even bigger and better in the years to come.

The 28 people in The Hague? The distributors and manufacturers responsible for bringing Lucas products to global markets. The outcome? A solid agreement that the future for this iconic brand is looking healthier than ever.

I said at the beginning that this blog was also part testimonial – and to explain why I was writing it. Well, I have worked with Lucas as an independent consultant for a quarter of a century now and have witnessed the changes and challenges that have resulted in the success that Lucas represents today. I have also been to many meetings such as the recent one in The Hague – but this is the first one to be held since LAW have been appointed to be the lead global agency for TRW brands and hence also the first to benefit from their help in organisation, presentation and support, all of which has been exemplary and led to the event being a great success, being both enjoyable at a personal level and highly motivating for the participants and distributors. The brand work that LAW have introduced for Lucas was presented, appreciated and lauded for its ability to drive the brand and business on to even greater heights, and rightly so.

So well done LAW and thank you Lucas for making us all proud to be involved in the continued success of this most iconic of great British brands.

Martin Smart is an independent consultant who works in the automotive aftermarket.

If you’d like to discuss how LAW Creative can help take your brand further, contact brett.sammels@lawcreative.co.uk