Brown Brothers Ltd was established in 1888 by John Smith Brown, Albert Brown and Ernest Brown. As well as supplying wholesale motoring and cycling equipment and general hardware, they also produced the Brown motorcycle from 1902 to 1915. By 1914 the company had 350 employees and included William Chamberlain as a director, alongside the original Brown family.

In 1922 the company was advertising "Duco" motor accessories and tools, "Bronko" cycle accessories and fittings, the "Trippa" folding baby car and "Talmo" cars, as well as continuing to sell the popular Vindec bicycle. By 1936 Brown Brothers had added aircraft components to their product range, establishing the subsidiary Brown Brothers (Aircraft) Ltd the following year. The business expanded, and at one time had over one hundred branches across Britain.

By 1989 Brown Brothers was part of Dana Inc. Partco acquired the Brown Brothers car components business in 1997.