During his reign, in the 13th century King John, of Magna Carta fame, engaged the services of Fulk le Breant, an ambitious mercenary soldier. In return for his unsavoury military services to an unpopular King, Fulk le Breant was made Sheriff of Oxford and Hertford. Interestingly, Fulk was also granted the Manor of Luton and the right to bear arms, for which he chose the griffin as his heraldic symbol. How unusual that the griffin chosen by Fulk le Breant would be the same as chosen by the founder of Vauxhall Motors, returning to Luton seven centuries later. The Sheriff went on to marry Margaret de Redvers, a wealthy widow of the son of the Earl of Devon (Baldwin de Redvers), and this union brought with it property in the Lambeth district in the South of London which later became known as Fulkes Hall. Over the years the name was corrupted, first to Foxhall then Vaux Hall and eventually Vauxhall. This area of London was also the site of The Vauxhall Gardens, famous throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Here too was the site of Vauxhall’s first factory.

In the year 1857 a Scottish marine engineer named Alexander Wilson started a business in Wandsworth Road, London. It was named the Vauxhall Iron Works and was mainly concerned with the production of marine engines for use in river craft. The business was extremely successful from the outset and in a very short time Wilson was employing over 150 men. In 1897 the business was made into a limited company and became known as the Vauxhall Iron Works Co. Ltd.

Alexander Wilson had left the company by this time and had set up his own offices in the capacity of consulting engineer. At the beginning of the century the remaining directors of the company became interested in the "horseless carriage" and, as a result of experimental work which had been in progress under the direction of Mr. F. W. Hodges, a 5 h.p. single-cylinder light car, capable of carrying four passengers, was offered for sale to the public. This was the first Vauxhall car and the year was 1903. The Autocar of October 31, 1903, published a description of this original Vauxhall and it is interesting to note that the suspension was independent all round, by coil springs.

The price of this model was 130 guineas, reasonable enough in those days and, so enthusiastically did the public respond, that production increased from one car every twelve working days in 1903 to seventy-six during 1904. But the large number of workpeople involved in this venture, coupled with the need for new and larger premises with room for expansion, prompted the directors to look for a more suitable factory.

A convenient site was found at Luton, Bedfordshire, where male labour was plentiful, and the company moved there in 1905. Spurred on by the success of their first model, the company then produced a 7-9 h.p. model, which, unfortunately, did not enjoy the same popularity as its predecessor. In 1906 the Vauxhall Eighteen four cylinder model made its first appearance and quickly became a favourite with the motoring public. The famous fluted bonnet treatment which has characterised Vauxhall cars since 1906 was originally used on this car.

Later in the same year Mr. L. H. Pomeroy, who had joined the Vauxhall company in 1905, designed the 12-14 h.p. model. This was the first Vauxhall to be fitted with a live axle. In 1907, the company, justifiably pleased with its success, decided to concentrate on car production and so disposed of all other engineering interests which were not allied to the production of automobiles. The name was, at this time, changed to Vauxhall Motors, Ltd.

Public demand for the light car was rapidly diminishing and motorists were clamouring for higher powered vehicles, so, in 1908, Vauxhall's produced the famous 20 h.p. model. An example of this car won the R.A.C, 2000 mile trial in the same year, an achievement which proved to be a tremendous fillip for the make and one which made the car the most popular model of that year.

Quickly realising the high publicity value of success in the sporting field, Vauxhall entered speed and reliability trials with healthy enthusiasm. As a result, the years 1909 to 1914 saw this marque winning competitive events with increasing frequency both at home and overseas. Perhaps one of the most important of the many highlights in the history of the manufacturers took place on October 28, 1910, when a 20 h.p. Vauxhall became the first car of that capacity to achieve the magic 100 mph on Brooklands track, a much coveted achievement.The most successful year for the Vauxhall company from the sporting point of view-was 1913. During that year the famous 30-98 model made its debut and proceeded to record success after success in speed trials all over the country.  After the first world war-during which normal production was continued in the form of a 25 h.p. staff car, the 30-98 model continued with unabated success and cars of the Vauxhall marque scored no fewer than 75 wins, 52 second places, and 35 third positions in sporting events all over the country during the years 1920-1923.  Although the public held these cars in high esteem, very few people could afford to own them because the prices ranged from £1,000 to almost £2,000. For this reason, the company withdrew from the sport in 1923 and concentrated on the production of less luxurious models, thereby catering for a wider public. New and more economical. models appeared, and production figures in 1923 were doubled in comparison with the 600 vehicles marketed in the previous year.

During 1927, General Motors Corporation of America began negotiations with the Vauxhall company as a move towards establishing manufacturing facilities in Great Britain. These negotiations culminated when General Motors acquired the ordinary share capital of Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., and this event marked the beginning of a period of meteoric development for the alliance.