TJ Richards & Sons was a coachbuilding company which operated in Australia under various names from 1885 through to 1951.
The history of TJ Richards and Sons began in 1885 when Adelaide-born blacksmith Tobias John Martin Richards opened a business named "TJ Richards, Wheel Wright and Coach Builder" in the Adelaide suburb of Mitcham.[1] Richards developed the "King of the Road" two wheeled sulky and also adopted this name as his trade slogan.[2] In 1900 the company moved to new larger premises in Hindmarsh Square in the city of Adelaide.[1] Agencies were established in other Australian locations and exports to overseas countries including England, South Africa and India were undertaken.[1] Richards coachwork won over 500 awards in various exhibitions.[3]
By 1903, Richards had been joined in the business by his three sons Henry Ernest, Claude Alfred Victor and William Egbert.[2] The company produced its first automobile body in 1905 and a dedicated department for this activity was formed in 1912.[1]
In 1913, the company name was changed to "TJ Richards & Sons", Richards having recently handed over the operation of the company to his sons.[1] In 1920, the company moved again, this time to a 7+1⁄2-acre site on the corner of Anzac Highway and Leader Street in the Adelaide suburb of Keswick.[1] The first mechanical body press was installed in 1924 and an assembly line was established shortly after this.[1] Bodies were produced for various makes including Bianchi, Citroën, Fiat, Maxwell, Hudson, Oakland, Overland, Armstrong Siddeley, Austin, Hupmobile, Berliet, Durant, Amilcar, Rover and Rolls-Royce.[1]
In 1928, an additional factory was established in the Adelaide suburb of Mile End.[1] In the same year Richards and Sons forged a relationship with the Chrysler Corporation and subsequently the production of bodies for Chrysler, Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth automobiles became the company's main activity.[1] In 1936, the recently formed Australian company Chrysler Dodge Distributors Limited purchased part of TJ Richards & Sons, taking a controlling interest the following year.[1]
In 1941, TJ Richards & Sons was renamed to Richards Industries Limited. During World War 2 production changed to munitions and aircraft components, with wing panels for the Bristol Beaufort and the CAC Wirraway being the major focus.[2]
The Richards family sold their remaining stake in the company to Chrysler Dodge Distributors Limited in 1946. The name was changed to Chrysler Dodge DeSoto Distributors Limited [1] and the parent company also changed its name, to Chrysler Dodge Distributors (Holdings) Pty Ltd.[2]
In 1951, the American Chrysler Corporation bought 85% of Chrysler Dodge Distributors (Holdings) Pty Ltd and renamed it Chrysler Australia.[2]
