Originally known as Albion Motor Car Company Ltd, the company was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton (both of whom had previously been involved in Arrol-Johnston).  Murray's father, John Lamb Murray mortgaged the Heavyside estate in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, to provide the initial capital.  They were joined a couple of years later by John F Henderson who provided additional capital.  The factory was originally on the first floor of a building in Finnieston Street, Glasgow and had only seven employees.  In 1903 the company moved to new premises in Scotstoun.

In April 1931, the Albion Motor Car Company Ltd was renamed Albion Motors Ltd with its vehicles featuring the sunrise badge.  In 1951, Albion was purchased by Leyland Motors, which then became part of the British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968.  Production of the Chieftain, Clydesdale and Reiver trucks and of the Viking bus models continued. In 1969, the company took over the neighbouring Coventry Ordnance Works on South Street, which it used for truck component manufacture.  British Leyland eliminated the Albion name in 1972 with the products continuing to be built at the same factory under the Leyland brand.  In 1980, vehicle production at the former Albion factory ceased, moving to the British Leyland plant at Bathgate, however component manufacturing continued.