Allison Engine Co. history

[dgersh]

Hi,

I just joined this forum, and wondered if anybody could give me some help with fairly recent history. I'm a translator in France, specialized in aerospace, and in a recent article I was working on, about engine services, mention was made in passing of the Allison Engine Company, which "went bankrupt" before being acquired by Rolls-Royce (1995).

That didn't ring a bell at all, and I've been unable to confirm it one way or the other, through usual Net searches, etc. I don't remember Allison being in any special trouble around then, especially a Chapter 11, even tho they were bought up by an investment firm between General Motors and Rolls-Royce.

Anybody remember anything about this, or have any documents?

Thanks for any help.

Don

[MReyn24050]

Not sure if this helps, an extract from Flight International 8-14 August 1992:-
Allison Gas Turbine says it is "talking seriously" with one engine manufacturer and is in lower-key talks with others after the announcement by its parent General Motors (GM) that it is for sale.
General manager Blake Wallace says he hopes a buyer can be found between August and the end of the year. He indicates that Allison executives tried to formulate a buy-out package, but no agreement was reached. He says an overseas bid is possible, despite Allison's leading role in US military engine research and its attempts to break into the fighter engine business. Such a
development would be deeply controversial. The GM move has ended the months of speculation which followed the corporation's declaration of a desire
to concentrate on its core businesses. GM stresses that its Hughes subsidiary is not a candidate for divestiture. Allison's value is difficult to
determine, since its accounts are not broken out of GM's results.
It contributes 3-5% of GM's $123 billion annual revenues. Allison says: "For the last five to six years, all the profits that Allison has made have been
rolled back into the business." Union sources suggest that there was no profit in 1991 and that none is likely in 1992. The company is understood to have
bid very low to secure the engine contract for the recently flown Saab 2000 twin turboprop airliner. Nevertheless, Allison has invested some $1 billion in research and development since the mid-1980s, and offers newgeneration
helicopter, turboprop and jet engines which could soon be market leaders.
Allison has co-operated previously with Rolls-Royce; its partner in the LHTEC consortium, Allied Signal-owned Garrett, showed interest when Allison
was last for sale in 1983. Its product line appears to fit well with those of Pratt & Whitney and General Electric.

[dgersh]

Thanks much, that does help!

It's a little difficult to prove a negative, which I think is the case, since I've found no evidence that Allison ever went into Chapter 11 - seems something like that would be mentioned somewhere!

It also gives me a closer date to check my old issues of AW&ST!

thanks again,
Don