Following success in the motor industry, the company branched into aero engines in 1914 to meet the need in Britain for air power for World War I, before moving into the civil aviation sector.

The company said Dec. 6 it had significantly strengthened its compliance procedures in recent years, including the introduction of a new global ethics code and a new intermediaries policy. It plans to appoint an independent senior figure who would lead a review of current procedures and report to the ethics committee of the board.