A Diamond Year for Witter Towbars

28 Mar 2010 – Full Story

It is now 60 years since Colin Witter started the towbar manufacturing company that has now grown to be Britain’s number one having sold over 6 million bars.

In the 1920s and 30s, caravanning was an activity reserved for the wealthy but after the second World War, the development by Eccles of a caravan that could be pulled behind many of the growing number of cars hitting the UK roads led to the popular pastime it is today.

In those early days towing brackets were bolted to the car chassis and it was a job undertaken by motor mechanics or often the local smithy! This is where the Witter story really began because Colin wanted to make a bracket that not only would be strong and practical to fit but blend in with the car bodywork as much as possible. The first Witter bar produced was for the Ford Pilot but following consultations with several motor manufacturers, the range began to expand to what it is today at over 1000 strong.

A lot has changed in manufacturing process throughout these years. Walk around the modern factory today and you will see laser steel cutting machines, precision bending presses and robot welders all helping to produce towbars within minute tolerances and to quality standards simply not achievable in years gone by.

Performance testing is also something that Witter has pioneered, using special testing rigs that put bars through considerably more strain than they would ever experience in a normal lifetime. And all this was done way before the 94/20/EC type approval legislation was introduced. Using computer aided design, test rigs and track tests, Witter still go beyond the limits to ensure their bars achieve the highest standards of reliability and safety.

Yes, the way towbars are designed and manufactured may be light years away from 1950 but the founding principles have remained the same – excellence in all areas and truly Towbars to Trust.