Between 1918 and 1933, the direct descendants of the famous Clyde engineering and shipbuilding Napier family designed and built their own aircraft engines. Their Lion engine was a particular success, powering over 160 aircraft types between WW1 and WW2.

Based at Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scottish Aviation built Pioneer, Twin Pioneer, Jetstream turboprop transport aircraft and Bulldog trainers. In the mid sixties they designed and built a small electric car called the Scamp. In 1977 they merged with the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), and others, to form British Aerospace.

In 1913 the company started producing aircraft, building Sopwith Pups under licence. They then designed and built a shipborne derivative, the Beardmore W B111. A hundred of these were built and delivered to the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Other aircraft were built, including flying boats. Another venture at Inchinnan in Renfrewshire designed and built the airships R27, R32, R34 and R36. They also built a range of aircraft engines, including the Tornado, used to power the ill-fated Vickers built airship R101.