Halfords Group plc (LSE: HFD) is the leading retailer of car parts, car enhancement, camping, touring, mobility and bicycles operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Group is also the leading MOT, service and repairs provider in the UK through Halfords Autocentre. Halfords Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

The company was founded by Frederick Rushbrooke in Birmingham in 1892 as a wholesale ironmongery. In 1902 Rushbrooke moved to a store on Halford Street in Leicester, for which street the company was named, and started selling cycling goods.

It opened its 200th store in 1931 and purchased the Birmingham Bicycle Company in 1945. In 1968 it opened its 300th store.

The Company became a part of Burmah Oil in 1969, following a takeover battle between Burmah Oil and Smiths Industries. During this time, a non-executive director of Halfords was Denis Thatcher, husband of Margaret Thatcher, later Prime Minister of the UK.

The Company was acquired by Ward White Group in 1983 and subsequently acquired by the Boots Group in 1991. It was then taken over by CVC Capital Partners in 2002 and in 2004 it was floated on the London Stock Exchange. On 11 July 2005 Halfords entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Autobacs Seven Co., a Japan based car accessory retailer with chains of stores all over the world and who is best known in other countries that do not have an Autobacs store for being the title sponsorship of Super GT and D1 Grand Prix. On 13 December 2005 Autobacs acquired 5% (11,400,000 shares) of the company at approximately ¥7.5 billion.

Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950 in Guildford, Surrey) is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. Rutherford often played rhythm guitar and 12-string guitar for the band in the early years. Following the departure of Steve Hackett from Genesis in 1977, he assumed the role of lead guitarist on the band's studio albums, beginning with And Then There Were Three in 1978. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis (the other is keyboardist Tony Banks). Rutherford wrote the lyrics to many Genesis songs during their career, including some of the band's biggest international hits, such as "Follow You, Follow Me", "Turn It On Again", "Land of Confusion" and "Throwing It All Away". He also formed Mike + The Mechanics in 1985. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Rutherford received his first guitar at the age of eight, and played in his first band, the Chesters (so named because they lived near Chester) at the age of nine. His father, Crawford Rutherford, was a Royal Navy Captain who became a manager in industry upon his retirement from the service. Mike boarded at the Leas Preparatory School in Hoylake and moved at the age of 13 to Charterhouse School, where he joined the Anon and formed a songwriting partnership with fellow guitarist Anthony Phillips. At age 15, the two of them founded Genesis with Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel. Rutherford hated his time in public school however, and was later expelled from Charterhouse for what he describes as a number of instances of minor misconduct.