Rootes passes into history
The end of an era as Reginald Rootes’s only son passes away aged 95
Timothy David Rootes, one of the Rootes Archive Centre’s patrons, has passed away. Tim was the son of Reginald Rootes – who founded the Rootes automotive business – and was the last generation of the Rootes family. Tim was educated at Harrow School, leaving at the age of fifteen to work for Humber in Coventry – WWII interrupted his apprenticeship. After leaving the army, he worked briefly in Cairo, and then Baghdad. In 1947, at the age of 22, he returned to England, driving a 2-litre Sunbeam Talbot Tourer on a seven-week trip from Baghdad to England.
His route took him through Jordan, Palestine, across the Sinai desert to Cairo, then westward along the north African coast to Tangiers, from where he crossed to Europe and drove up through Spain and France to England.
In November 1950, Tim sailed to New York to join his cousin Brian Rootes, who was in charge of Rootes Inc. The next year, he moved west to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, becoming a regional director. Following his return to the UK, Tim was made director of the sales and service division of the manufacturing company in 1956. He was also appointed to the board of the parent company, Rootes Motors Ltd, and also Rootes Ltd, the group’s merchandising division. Then, in 1965, following the death of Lord Rootes, Tim became managing director of the passenger car division.
In 1967 Chrysler took overall control of what had previously been a family-run business.
Tim left and set up his own companies, became involved with horse racing, and founded Shutford Stud. Tim’s passing really is the end of an era. The end of the Rootes line and a living link to an automotive dynasty.
‘It’s the end of a living link to an automotive dynasty’