Coventry, home of the cycle industry, was also to become the birthplace of the motor industry when the Daimler Company became the first in Britain to mass produce cars in the late 1890s. Spearheaded by H.J. Lawson, Coventry soon became a hub of motoring activity, and by the early 1900s was teaming with small and large companies, testing cars, motor-bicycles and tricycles around the local streets and surrounding country lanes. Many of these companies had previously been established as cycle manufacturers, yet introduced engines to their cycle frames in various forms, as well as producing safer three- and four-wheeled experimental machines. Other companies were established solely as motor manufacturers, many were short-lived, but others would survive and prosper. This new-found industry soon attracted a new type of worker to Coventry, specialised in mechanical engineering. These men and their families came from all parts of the UK and beyond, and made new lives for themselves in the city. Coventry has been home to well in excess of 100 independent motor manufacturers, but in recent years the city has suffered greatly with the loss of huge companied like Jaguar and Peugeot. The legacy of many of these historic cars can, however, still be enjoyed through museums and private collections. This outstanding volume is illustrated with 200 archive photographs and ephemera from the collection held at Coventry Transport Museum, and is a valuable record of the motor companies and their machines, as well as the individuals who both founded and worked for these manufacturers.

Coventry has a remarkable bicycle manufacturing heritage. From the first velocipedes built in 1868, the city went on to become the home of the British cycle industry and at one time produced the greatest output of cycles in the world – with well in excess of 450 individual cycle manufacturers over a 100-year period. The Coventry Machinists Company were the first in Britain to mass-produce cycles, and steadily, more and more companies were established in the city. Soon Coventry became internationally recognised as a place where only the very best machines were made, and the name 'Coventry' itself became a stamp of quality engineering and fine craftsmanship. Richly illustrated with over 100 outstanding images from Coventry History Centre, many previously unpublished, this is the first book of its kind to cover the history of Coventry bicycle manufacture and the people who built them. From Dunlop, Hobart, Singer, Premier, Rover and Triumph to other lesser-known local companies, their legacies are still enjoyed by cyclists and local historians today.

Although the interiors of aristocratic homes have received much attention, there has been little written about how the interiors of middle-class homes evolved through the ages. In this study, James Ayres traces the development - in words and pictures - of vernacular British interiors from the 16th to the mid-19th century.

The Triumph Motor Company is known around the world for its iconic sports cars. The hugely popular TR series, Spitfires, and GT-6s represent the quintessential British sports car; rugged good looks were combined with performance and economy at a price everyone could afford. These sports cars are always in demand and prized by British car collectors, racers, and open-air motoring enthusiasts. Triumph understood the connection between competition success and sales success and was able to parlay rally and road racing wins into the best-selling sports cars in the world, particularly in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. The Works competition cars notched victories at Le Mans, Sebring, the Monte Carlo rally, and many others and inspired privateers to take their cars to the track. Every model came from a bloodline of racing. Triumph historian G. William Krause reviews every model in the sports car lineup. He covers the history, design evolution, and performance specifications from the first sports cars in the 1930s through the final cars built in 1981. Throughout Triumph's history a number of pivotal moments could have significantly changed the company's fortunes. This book also looks at the "what if" cars that never made it into production, including photos. Although they have not been built for more than three decades, their mark on sports car history is undeniable. Whether you're a fan of the spartan brutes of the 1950s or the refined comfort and performance of the last TRs, you will find the backstory of your favorites here. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}

Highly illustrated throughout, here see the inside story of the development of the Jaguar XK120, XK140 and XK150.