Dowty Group began as the Aircraft Components Company in 1931, established by inventor George Herbert Dowty. The company developed innovative an innovative design for aircraft undercarriages, which was used by the Gloster Aircraft Company from 1934. The business was renamed Dowty Aviation in the following year and went public in 1936. In the lead-up and during the Second World War, demand was high and the business prospered, opening additional plants in Canada and the United States.

Dowty Group continued its success in the postwar years, specialising in hydraulic and actuation systems, as well as turbine engine parts, advanced propellors and tubular systems. The company diversified into telecommunications and software. In 1992 Dowty Group was acquired by British engineering business TI Group.