The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. Run from London's West End, the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and dealers business in the south of England. In the decade beginning 1928 the Rootes brothers, William and Reginald, made prosperous by their very successful distribution and servicing business, were keen to enter manufacturing for closer control of the products they were selling. One brother has been termed the power unit, the other the steering and braking system.

Linwood is an area that is part of Paisley in Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, 14 miles west of Glasgow. It is about 1+1⁄2 miles northeast of Johnstone and west of Paisley close to the Black Cart Water and the A737 road.