VEHICLE AND GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 ACC/2670
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: VEHICLE AND GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
Date(s)	: 1954-1982
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 7.52 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Vehicle and General Insurance Co Ltd

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Vehicle and General Insurance Company Ltd was incorporated in September 1923 as a private company with the power to carry on insurance business. It went public in February 1961 and initiated a sales policy offering a high rate of No claims discount to careful private motorists. Expansion was rapid - a number of subsidiary companies were purchased (see ACC/2670/1126 for a detailed chart) and it was estimated that by 1970 they insured about 10 per cent of private motorists in the United Kingdom.

Originally operating from Rayners Lane, Middlesex, the firm moved its headquarters to Northwood, Middlesex and then, in May 1968, to Bushey, Hertfordshire. In 1963 a branch office had opened in Scotland - by 1971 there were ten such offices throughout the country.

On March 1, 1971 the Directors announced their intention of petitioning the court for the compulsory winding up of Vehicle and General along with five of its subsidiaries - Automobile and General Insurance Co. Ltd., Transport Indemnity Insurance Co. Ltd, and World Auxiliary Insurance Corporation Ltd. The Winding Up orders were issued on 22 March although World Anxiliary was granted an adjournment.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of Vehicle and General Insurance Co Ltd, including financial material, correspondence, minutes, papers relating to stock, and journals. Records of subsidiary companies including Automobile and General Insurance Co Ltd; General and Commercial Motor Insurance Co Ltd; Metropolitan General Insurance Co Ltd; Transport Indemnity Insurance Co Ltd; General and Commercial Insurance Co Ltd; Vehicle and General Investment Services Ltd; Ecole Europe (England) Ltd; Arthur Edwards (Insurance) Ltd; J.M. Horsley Ltd; Talkwax Ltd and Wray and Co.

Records of Coopers and Lybrand, the liquidator, including Committee of Inspection minutes; general minutes; statement of affairs for Vehicle and General Insurance Co Ltd; statement of affairs for Automobile and General Insurance Co Ltd; statement of affairs for General and Commercial Motor Insurance Co Ltd; statement of affairs for Metropolitan General Insurance Co Ltd and statement of affairs for Transport Indemnity Insurance Co Ltd; correspondence files; finance records; stock records; and papers relating to creditors.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

The records have been sorted into the following groups: Vehicle and General Insurance Co Ltd (ACC/2670/001-034); Subsidiary Companies (ACC/2670/035-058); Liquidator (ACC/2670/059-125)

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright rests with the City of London.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Gifted to the archives in 1989. ACC/2670.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
July to October 2009