Villiers were not a Birmingham firm but there engines were used in Birmingham built motorcycles, in fact the post war lightweight market below 250cc was dominated by Villiers.

Villiers was the largest manufacturer of engines in this country and it is sometimes forgotten just how important their contribution to the British motorcycle industry was. They also provided engines for stationary appliances, cultivators, lawn mowers and even small cars. In 1948 their Wolverhampton factory covered 14 acres and employed 2100 people

Charles Marston, the son of John Marston, the founder of the Sunbeam Cycle Company, formed Villiers in 1898. The company was set up to produce bicycle components for Sunbeam, who had begun producing bicycles in 1887.

Although forever associated with the two-stroke engine Villiers first engine was a four stroke produced in 1911. This however was not successful and in 1913 they produced a 269cc two-stroke engine which was the beginning of the long term two stroke motorcycle direction of the company.

In 1956 the company produced its two millionth engine which was presented to the Science Museum in London. 1956 was also the year they merged with their great rivals, J.A.P. of Tottenham, London. JAP engines were produced at Wolverhampton until 1958 when production was phased out.

After the war Villiers engines were supplied to;

Atco Mowers, Clifford Cultivators, Howard Rotavators, Sunm motorcycles, James motorcycles, Greaves motorcycles, Francis Barnett motorcycles, Norman motorcycles,  Ambassador motorcycles, DKR motorcycles, DMW motorcycles, DOT motorcycles and Panther motorcycles.

Villiers was taken over by Manganese Bronze Holdings (Denis Poore) in 1965 who in turn took over Associated Motorcycles. In 1968 the manufacture of two stroke motorcycle engines was run down and had ceased by 1969. This also spelled the death knell for most UK manufactures of lightweight motorcycles, which were so heavily dependent on Villiers engines. From 1969 Villiers concentrated on the manufacture of industrial engines and the Wolverhampton factory was used for the manufacture of the Commando motorcycle, being then part of Norton Villiers Ltd.

Dennis Poore was seen as the saviour of the British motorcycle industry and was invited by the government to attempt a rescue Triumph and BSA but this proved to be a take over too much. The sit in at the Meriden Triumph factory effectively destroyed Norton Villiers Triumph and with it the British motorcycle industry. Denis Poore had made a brave attempt to rescue an ailing industry but had misjudged the stubborn non-sensical militancy of the Meriden workforce which which incredibly was supported by the then Minister for Trade, Tony Benn. If only Mrs Thatcher had come to power earlier it might have been all so different!