What classic cars were in Coventry?
Classic cars made in Coventry
- Daimler (original)
- Daimler Double Six (1926-37)
- Triumph Herald (1959-71)
- Jaguar E-Type (1961-75)
- Triumph Stag (1970-77)
- Alvis TC 108G (1956-1958)
- Riley RMA (1945-52)
- Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (1952-60)
What cars did Coventry make?
To celebrate the award of UK City of Culture to Coventry, local boy Mark Evans tells the history of the classic cars made in Coventry, including the Daimler, the Triumph, the Riley and the Jaguar.
What happened to Coventry car industry?
As a result, Coventry’s car output went into decline, and the city’s iconic factories began to close. The city’s top 15 employers axed almost half their combined labour force between 1975 and 1982, which by the end of the period translated to roughly 520 jobs a month.
Who made Riley cars?
Riley Motor
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1896 as The Riley Cycle Company |
| Fate | Acquired by William Morris in 1938 thereafter with Morris Motors Limited |
| Successor | Nuffield Organization |
| Headquarters | Coventry, England |
Where was the Humber factory in Coventry?
Humber Road, Coventry
16 – Humber factory – Humber Road, Coventry, CV3 1BA One of its most famous cars was the Humber Super Snipe Montgomery used after the D-Day landings. See it at the transport museum.
Who made Daimler cars?
Daimler Company
| 5½-litre 150 bhp Straight-Eight drop-head coupé 1949 | |
|---|---|
| Product type | Motor vehicles |
| Owner | Jaguar Land Rover (since 2013) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1891 |
Why is Coventry known as Motor City?
The city had the closest engineering experience and expertise you could get in a country which had yet to build its first car, and it was here that in 1896 Henry Lawson founded the Daimler Motor Company and built The Motor Mills – the factory which would give birth to the first British car.
Are cars still made in Coventry?
After the first British car was built by Daimler in 1897, Coventry’s manufacturing industry grew until it reached a peak in the 1950s and 60s. Today, the only significant car production in Coventry is of London’s black cabs, made by the Chinese-owned London Taxi Company.
What was Coventry like in the 50s and 60s?
Coventry’s dependence on the automotive industry had been its saviour in the 50s and 60s. The downturn of car industry in the late 70s and early 80s put the City’s fortunes in decline. Local band, The Specials, marked the lowest point with their number one hit “Ghost Town” in 1981.
When was the first car built in Coventry?
T he first ever British car was built in Coventry nearly 120 years ago. Now there are ambitious plans to re-establish the city as the heart of the country’s recovering automotive industry.
How did the Coventry car industry change after World War 2?
Nonetheless, the devastation of the Blitz wasn’t enough to halt its inexorable rise as Coventry’s industry reached its peak after World War II, retaining the driving seat in the second-largest car manufacturing country of the world. An influx of workers immediately followed the war, driving the boom years of Coventry car manufacturing.
How many people work at Coventry Motor City?
Today it has more than 600 staff, 4,000 students, and a research budget of £200m. It has tie-ups with more than 1,000 companies, although JLR and Tata are its leading partners and conduct their advanced research at the site.