Hi Brian.
Hope following helps, from a colleague whose expertise is in the British Car Industry. He also suggests checking things with Gillian Bardsley of the 'British Motor Heritage Trust' , based in Gaydon, Warwickshire (check their web).
Regards,
Sarah-Jane
Colleague writes:
"Bits of Longbridge in Birmingham date from 1906 (if they are still standing given the collapse of MG Rover last year) and were converted from an 1880s printing works. Certainly factories in Coventry date from the late 1890s (the original Humber, Hillman and Rover plants for instance) and I can check if they are still standing. A couple of years back Coventry Council produced a guided walk booklet showing them - I have a copy at home somewhere and I'll dig it out. Copies were still available from the Coventry Transport Museum when I was there in May.
Your correspondent should check: Paul Collins and Michael Stratton, "British Car Factories from 1896: A Complete Historical, Geographical. Architectural and Technological Survey (Veloce Publishing, 1993)". It's quite a difficult book to get, but there is one available to consult at Coventry Record Office, Mandela House, Bayley Lane, Coventry.
AC Cars of Thames Ditton date from the earliest days of the industry - but I'm unsure about their factory. I'll have a think about Oxfordshire over the weekend
On Merseyside the oldest would be the Vulcan Works in Southport - but it wasn't purpose built and may have been demolished. "
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Giggins, Brian
Sent: 10 November 2006 12:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Motor carriage works
The Aston Martin works at Newport Pagnell in Milton Keynes includes a 3 storey brick building of 6 bays looking very much like a shoe factory with large cast-iron 5 x 7 camber-headed windows. At ground floor, one gable had a very larrge opening with a a second, slighly smaller, opening above at 1st floor level. It was purpose-built in 1910 as part of the motor carriage works of a company called Salmons & Sons.. Motor manufacturers at that period seldom put bodies upon the cars they produced bur arranged for the chassis they built to be delivered to coach makers, such as Salmons, for the body of the car to be constructed. This 1910 building had an internal rope lift to take the chassis up to each of the three floors where the trades involved would carryout their tasks. Needless to say the building is neither is listed or in a Conservation Area. Local historians have claimed that this may be the earliest surviving purpose-built motor carriage works in the country. Are they right?? Would be very interest to know if you have anything similar, but earlier, in your area.
Regards
Brian Giggins
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