The Coventry Motor Industry

This title was first published in 2000: Coventry is synonymous with both the creation and relative decline of the British motor car industry. This volume utilises the extensive range of primary sources on the subject to explore the relationship between the car industry in its local context and the wider economic, social and political environment. It analyses the emergence and early dominance of Coventry's motor manufacturers, the rise of volume production in the 1930s and the instabilities and renaissance of the post-war era. Specific chapters deal with the industry's response to the demands created by the two world wars. A number of themes run throughout the book including the structure of the industry and the relationship between its various sectors, resource provision, management and labour relations, and the nature and response to market demand. The book also provides fascinating insights into the history of some of the most evocative marques in the car industry, including Daimler, Jaguar, Alvis, Siddeley, Standard and Rover.

Autorentext

David Thoms, Tom Donnelly

Inhalt

Contents: The Coventry motor car industry: parameters and significance; Origins: from cycles to cars; Organisation and growth to 1914; The impact of war, 1914-18; Between the wars: mergers and mass production; The motor manufacturers and the Second World War; Growth, stagnation and merger, 1945-68; The end of the boom; Renaissance or false dawn?; Bibliography; Index.