Ralph Lucas (1876-1955) was an entrepreneur and inventor, involved in the design and manufacturing of early motor cars. He was born in Greenwich, the son of telegraph engineer Francis Robert Lucas (1849-1931) and his wife Katherine. After studying at Jesus College, Cambridge, Lucas began his career as a draughtsman. But by the turn of the century he had established his own workshop (at Westcombe Hill, Greenwich), joining the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1903. At the workshop, he began designing motor cars, registering 15 UK and three US patents between 1899 and 1910 for a range of different engine parts.