British Motor Industry

Austin, Hillman, Morris, Standard and Wolseley are just a few of the myriad marques that once constituted Britain's indigenous motor industry. Born in 1896 into the high summer of Victorian prosperity, the industry survived until the collapse of MG Rover in 2005. Jonathan Wood chronicles its century-long life, from the production of hand-made bespoke automobiles for the fortunate few to the arrival of mass production to provide cars for the many. He looks at the factories and the people who worked in them, and examines the role played by the component manufacturers that serviced the industry. In conclusion, this ideal introduction offers explanations as to why motor manufacturing followed the British motorcycle, bicycle and cotton industries into oblivion.