motoring 70 June 2022 www.bahrainthismonth.com EXPLORING GREAT BRITISH MOTORING As with most good things in life, it all started with a friendship. When Frederick Simms met Gottlieb Daimler in 1889 and decided to buy the rights to sell and manufacture Gottlieb›s high-speed petrol engine, he kicked off a chain of events that led to Britain becoming the second-largest manufacturer of automobiles worldwide by the mid-19 th century. Rolls Royce, Land Rover, Bentley, Lotus and Jaguar are just some of the household names familiar across the globe. That’s before you even get to pop culture icons such as James Bond’s Aston Martin and the Mini Cooper. British manufacturing hasn’t just been a success on the road either. On track it has delivered some of the most memorable machines in sporting history, with names such as McLaren and Williams etched into folklore. In fact, did you know that nine of the current 10 Formula One teams, except Ferrari obviously, are built and delivered in the UK despite their international ownership? Let’s go back to where it all began. Simms› documented plans to manufacture Daimler motors were taken over, together with his company and its Daimler licences, by London companypromoter H J Lawson. In 1896, Lawson bought a disused cotton mill in Coventry from a friend for the purpose of car engine and chassis manufacture where, it is claimed, the UK›s first serial production car was made. Unfortunately, unlike the rapid mass production which Henry Ford revolutionised in the United States, early British manufacture was effectively stopped by a series of Locomotive Acts which severely restricted the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on the public highways. For example, each vehicle had to be accompanied by a crew of three and there was a 2mph speed limit in towns. Just imagine! You could literally walk quicker than you were allowed to drive. Good for pedestrians, not so much for As we celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, Kristian Harrison takes a look back at the British automobile industry’s extensive and prestigious history.
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