Silver Cross Ltd
Founded1877 Edit this on Wikidata
HeadquartersSkipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
ParentFosun International
Websitesilvercrossbaby.com

Silver Cross is an English private limited company and manufacturer of baby transport and other baby-related products, founded in 1877. Based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Silver Cross sells baby prams (perambulators, a type of baby transport) and pushchairs. Its parent company, the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, owns 87.2 percent of the equity.[1]

An early Silver Cross coach-built pram
Silver Cross vintage advert
Silver Cross pram, 1960/70s
Silver Cross Balmoral coach-built pram

History

Founding

William Wilson founded the company in 1877 in Hunslet, Leeds.[2][3] Wilson's prams used a spring system and a reversible hood,[2] which he produced in a factory on Silver Cross Street, Leeds.[4] In 1897, Wilson opened a factory on Whitehouse Street in Leeds.[5] Thereafter, Wilson registered more than 30 patents for pram design.[6] After receiving a Royal Warrant for baby carriage production, William Wilson died at age 58. Ownership passed to his three sons: James, Irwin, and Alfred.[7]

20th century

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Wilson brothers supplied a Silver Cross baby carriage to George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.[2] By 1936, Silver Cross had moved to a larger factory in Guiseley.[5]

In the 1940s and 1950s, Silver Cross developed new techniques for pram production. Plywood bodies were replaced with aluminum, and new rubber die presses, spot-welding machines, and others were installed at the Silver Cross Works. Posters of the time portrayed Silver Cross prams alongside Rolls-Royce cars, leading to the unofficial title of "the Rolls-Royce of Prams".[2] Silver Cross prams came to be seen as old-fashioned.[3][8]

21st century

In 2002, the company was sold to Alan Halsall for £500,000.[8] While Halsall kept the older designs, most of the company's sales came from more modern designs, such as car seats.[8] Additionally, Halsall wanted Silver Cross to partner with complementary British manufacturers, such as furniture makers and toy makers.[8] Halsall also focused on expanding the company into international markets, particularly Asian territories, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.[8]

In 2013, Silver Cross entered into a partnership with classic British automotive brand Aston Martin to produce a special edition of the Surf pram and pushchair.[9]

On July 20, 2015, Fosun International announced it had purchased the company from Halsall.[10] As of 2017, Fosun owned 87.23% of the company.[11]

In October 2016, the company announced their expansion into the United States via ABC Expo, a trade show for children's products.[12]

Products

Silver Cross's coach-built prams have a hard body, C-spring suspension, spoked wheels, and a folding hood. This method of pram construction was developed by William Wilson, who marketed it and registered numerous patents for perambulator design.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Fosun Group Expands the Health Consumption Investment by Partnering with Silver Cross". en.fosun.com. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "History of Silver Cross | British Design Since 1877". silvercrossus.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Wheels of fortune for Silver Cross - the prams that pushed themselves all the way to the top". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Leeds City Council. "Dewsbury Road, Silver Cross Hotel". www.leodis.net. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 Leeds City Council. "Silver Cross Street, numbers 6, 8 & 10". www.leodis.net. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "William Wilson and Sons - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "The first Silver Cross pram returns home". www.antiquestradegazette.com. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Wood, Zoe (24 September 2010). "Silver Cross: the British pram winning over pushy mums". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Coren, Giles. "The £2,000 Aston Martin pram that's a real babe magnet". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Fosun Group Expands the Health Consumption Investment by Partnering with Silver Cross". Fosun. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Fosun Annual Report 2017" (PDF). 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Silver Cross. "Beloved British Juvenile Products Brand, Silver Cross, Launches In USA At ABC Expo". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Our Story : Silver Cross | Baby Gear Since 1877". Silver Cross USA. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
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