Classic British Cars

For most of the 20th century, Coventry was Britain’s motor city – home to the car industry’s best engineers, designers and brands.  Mark grew up just down the road, so he jumped at the chance to explore the city’s automotive history to help celebrate Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

Filmed over 12 months, and featuring a treasure trove of rare archive and personal testimonies, this is the untold story of a remarkable city and the ups and downs of its motor industry.

Mark finds out how the cars were crafted and discovers the secret family stories behind the most famous marques including Riley, Standard, Triumph and Jaguar.  Legendary racers Rosemary Smith, Pat Quinn and Norman Dewis share their memories of competing Coventry’s cars in some of the world’s most dangerous motorsport events.  And, Mark meets the people passionate about preserving the city’s extraordinary motoring heritage.