Austin, Hillman, Morris, Standard and Wolseley were a handful of the
myriad marques that once constituted Britain's indigenous motor
industry. Born in 1896 into the high summer of Victorian prosperity, the
native British industry survived until the collapse of The Rover Group
in 2005. Jonathan Wood chronicles this industry's 109-year life, from
its production of hand-made bespoke automobiles for the fortunate few to
the arrival of mass production to provide cars for the many. He looks at
the factories and the people who worked in them, and examines the role
played by the component manufacturers that serviced the industry. Wood
also offers explanations as to why motor manufacturing followed the
British motorcycle, bicycle and cotton industries into oblivion.