Motoring Manchester: Early car manufacturing in the city

The transition from horses to engines for transport is exemplified in the case of Manchester’s Cockshoot and Co., long-established coachbuilders who applied their skills in making horse-drawn carriages to the new art of making the bodies for motor cars. In 1902 the first Cockshoot and Co. garage opened on Deansgate—one of the first garages in the country. In 1903 they produced their first motor car body. The company were widely known for their high-quality craftsmanship.

Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Image source for A blueprint drawing of an early car

Motor cars, in the early days, were not for everyone. They were an expensive, luxury hobby for the very wealthy, who used them for touring, racing and tinkering. Wealthy motorists escaped Manchester at the weekends to tour the Cheshire and Lancashire countryside. The thrill of speed was an important part of the experience. Even breaking down could be part of the adventure. Motorists often prided themselves on their ability to maintain and repair their own vehicles.

Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Rolls-Royce and Imperial

To this day, nothing says luxury like the brand Rolls-Royce. The partnership between Henry Royce, an engineer, and Charles Rolls, who was a motorcar enthusiast, began in Manchester in 1904, when Royce showed his experimental motorcar to Charles Rolls, who wanted to sell quality, 'All-British' motorcars. Rolls-Royce was born.

This is one of the earliest Rolls-Royce motorcars. Made in September 1905, it is the 12th Rolls-Royce motor car ever made. Originally it had a four-seater body and was used by Royce himself between January and December 1906. It was then fitted with its current body. The top speed of this Rolls-Royce was nearly 40mph, more than twice the speed of a horse-drawn carriage.

Rolls-Royce produced bespoke, luxury cars which were known for their quality. They became a symbol of wealth and luxury and helped to glamorise and popularise motoring. Another Manchester manufacturer of luxury cars was the Imperial Autocar Manufacturing Co. Ltd., who were based at the Manchester Corporation Company’s horse tram depot in Rusholme. The Science and Industry Museum collection includes this beautiful last known surviving example of an Imperial motor car. Made in 1904, it was built at a time when manufacturers were still experimenting with business models, building methods and designs.

Ford at Trafford Park  

As we have seen, at the turn of the 20th century, cars were expensive, and only available to the wealthy few. However, cars were heavily marketed as exciting and modern, and they became highly desirable consumer products. Cars were here to stay, and it wasn’t long before manufacturing methods were created to make it possible to churn out relatively more affordable cars.   

American company Ford opened their first factory outside of the US at Trafford Park, Manchester in 1911. Trafford Park was the world’s first purpose-built industrial estate, and the Ford factory was Europe’s first production line. Henry Ford’s pioneering production line methods were developed to make these mass-produced cars. 

Today, campaigners, communities and local government are often seeking ways to reduce the number of cars on our roads. An example of this is the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone, which aims to reduce the amount of traffic on Manchester’s busy roads for a future with less traffic and air pollution, and hopefully an increase in safe and clean walking and cycling routes. This is a fascinating reversal of the process of motorisation of transport 120 years ago, when we moved away from walking and using horses towards making shorter journeys by motor car.

The Bee Network is another initiative from Transport for Greater Manchester to create the UK's largest cycling and walking network, connecting areas and communities in Greater Manchester to make it easy, safe and attractive for people to travel on foot or by bike for everyday trips. A key aim is to reduce the number of short journeys made by private car, by encouraging people to use active travel—getting where you’re going using muscle power.