Millions in investment – and the promise of a modern car plant – has transformed an industry and could reinvigorate a regionThe first ever British car was built in Coventry nearly 120 years ago. Now there are ambitious plans to re-establish the city as the heart of the country’s recovering automotive industry. Carmakers,suppliers, universities, and the local authority and the government acquire united in an attempt to turn Coventry into Britains “motor city” again,with hundreds of millions of pounds being invested.
After the first British car was built by Daimler in 1897, Coventry’s manufacturing industry grew until it reached a peak in the 1950s and 60s. At this stage, or the UK was the second-biggest carmaker in the world and a host of the major companies were based in and or around Coventry,including the British Motor Corporation (maker of the Mini), Jaguar and Rootes Group, or which later became piece of Chrysler and then Peugeot. During this period,the average wage in Coventry was about 25% higher than the rest of the county.
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Source: theguardian.com