Print

[Kernowcam]

Did any one else catch the excellent programme about the Coventry car history tonight. History of many marques often with interviews with the children and grandchildren of the makers.  Jaguar, triumph , Riley Alvis etc.
POSs bbc4 . Mark evans was the presenter who did a excellent job. Calmed down a lot.

[A-Ro]

I didn’t see that was on, I like a good car programme, what was it called and what channel? I’ll see if I can get it on catch up.
Cheers.

[timfoster]

I missed it too, but looks like it was:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w6sp

available on iPlayer at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000w6sp/classic-british-cars-made-in-coventry

- tim

[autorover1]

Very good  but felt Rover could have been mentioned a little more, there only two brief comments .  Up to the war years Rovers main car assembly was in Coventry  until Helen St.  was bombed out, and it had a long history of Bicycle and motor bike production there.  I guess concentrating on Riley, Black and Lyons  made an very  interesting human story. 

[oilstain]

Very good  but felt Rover could have been mentioned a little more, there only two brief comments .  Up to the war years Rovers main car assembly was in Coventry  until Helen St.  was bombed out, and it had a long history of Bicycle and motor bike production there.  I guess concentrating on Riley, Black and Lyons  made an very  interesting human story.

Great programe just as he said^^^, far better than I would have put it

[Alan Drover]

I watched it too but was disappointed because there was hardly any 'mechanicals." No mention was made of the Riley twin underhead cam engine that finished its days in the Ditchfinder, and the Riley One Point Five was completely ignored. The programme glossed over the Vanguard engine that found its way into the Ferguson tractor or of the diesel version that powered England's first diesel engine car, the Standard Vanguard.

[Craig T]

Didn't see that one, been away for a while and only got limited channels...

Just set it to record on the Sky box as it's on again this Wednesday. 

Craig.

[LN11AAB498A]

I recorded the programme and may watch it tonight.

My dad had a Standard Vanguard but I don't remember it being a diesel though.
 

[Alan Drover]

I think diesel Vanguards were used as taxis. They weren't exactly speedy. I don't think s private buyer would have considered one.

[GlenAnderson]

My uncle Don had a diesel Standard Vanguard. He had diesel cars all the while I knew him, and long before. He generally converted them himself though, rather than bought them. The most notable, although I never saw it in the flesh, was a 1950s Cadillac that he put a big Perkins in.

His requirements for diesel power had more to do with fuel economy and the ability to skim free fuel from his lorry than for drivability/performance though.

[richardhula]

Very good  but felt Rover could have been mentioned a little more, there only two brief comments .  Up to the war years Rovers main car assembly was in Coventry  until Helen St.  was bombed out, and it had a long history of Bicycle and motor bike production there.  I guess concentrating on Riley, Black and Lyons  made an very  interesting human story.

Agreed but it seemed the documentary was angled more to the individuals who spearheaded the various marque's as they evolved and only in Coventry, which was part of the title of course. Interesting that the extant Riley family member himself mentioned the nickname Ditchfinder when referring to the Pathfinder, indicating this came of being released into production a year too early.

[LN11AAB498A]

Having just watched my recording of the programme, I`m left feeling it was all too rushed. While trying to cover so many manufacturers, not enough time was given to each of these British classics.

I enjoyed the programme but it could have been even better had each manufacturer been given there own programme.

I learned something new, I wasn't aware Triumph had been taken over by Standard.

Sad to see so many wonderful brands swallowed up by the likes of BMC/Leyland/British Leyland etc only to disappear. What a shockingly rotten car industry we ended up with in the 70s. Who else remembers "Red Robbo"? So called by the press because of his commy affiliation. The shop steward often seen standing up to address the car workers he had brought out on strike again and again. A regular sight on tv screens.

It was a refreshing change to have a presenter who didn't make himself the story. Instead leaving it to the real stars - the cars.
 

[Craig T]

I watched it last night in a rare moment of having the TV to myself and really quite enjoyed it.

I always liked Mark Evans as a presenter and I have seen him a few times at my local car show in Surrey as he lives (lived) just down the road from there. He once did the commentary on the show when I had my Cobra Kit car there and off course it wasn't long after he did his first show on Discovery about building a Pilgrim Cobra car so we had something to chat about.

Was good to hear a bit about the history behind the SS or Swallow Sidecar company. My great grandfather was a chauffer at a house local to my parents and we have a nice photo of some of the cars he looked after. The two nearest the camera are SS 1 cars we think. By another coincidence the house in the back ground is now where I work...

Craig.

[Eve]

Who else remembers "Red Robbo"?

I do.

I used to see him in the Phoenix pub on Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham on the odd occasions I was in the office and popped in there (Touche Ross's offices were above) for lunch and a pint. His union offices were nearby.

I was doing my accountancy training and one of our major clients was Chrysler (later Peugeot/Talbot) so I spent many a happy hour auditing their locations at Ryton, Whitley and associated factories and power train plants across Coventry and Birmingham.

I do regret never engaging in conversation with him, I'm sure I'd have learnt a lot from him.