Motor cars and Coventry

The history of the Motor Car in Coventry

At the turn of the 20th Century the city had a population of around 70,000. In the section on cycles and motorcycles I mentioned that "there were 40,000 people involved in the manufacturing of cycles in Coventry". These skilled engineering workers  were ideal as the workforce to build motor cars. At one time or another there have been over 130 motor manufacturers in Coventry.

Harry Lawson, the founder of the Humber Cycle company, purchased patents for an engine design from Germany. He started the Daimler motor Company in 1896. Lawson is credited with the birth of the motor industry in Coventry. Sadly he died virtually penniless in 1925.

Cars - or more accurately for the time - horseless carriages were first used as wedding transport and as hearses in Coventry.

William Hillman, an associate of Starley, started his own Motor manufacturing works in Coventry. His company made Hillman cars into the 1980's as part of the Rootes group of companies.

I suppose that the most famous Coventry marque is Jaguar. Jaguar started in Blackpool as the Swallow sidecar company. This company, a partnership between William Lyons and William Walmsley, moved to Coventry in1928. They first started building cars using chassis built by the standard motor company. The resulting vehicles were the SS Sports cars (SS Swallow Sports). In 1935 the marque began to use the famous leaping cat emblem. After the Second World War jaguar started to make their famous sports cars and had considerable success on the race track. Jaguar, now owned by Ford, are still in Coventry (2007).

Coventry Car Manufacturers