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Demolition worker Les Gilbert prepares the Morris rebus for its move to the Museum of
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Memory Lane
Demolition worker Les Gilbert prepares the Morris rebus for its move to the Museum of
Demolition worker Les Gilbert prepares the Morris rebus for its move to the Museum of British Road Transport at Cook Street, Coventry. For 50 years a stone ox, carved on an 8-ft-long lintel weighing one and a half tons, looked down at visitors to the Coventry Engines plant at Courthouse Green. It was the symbol of a factory, better known as Morris Engines, whichmade its name as the plant best-equipped in the Morris and later the BL car empire to tackle the more complex engine designs. The ox stood over the entrance to the main office block and has been carefully lifted down by the demolition team which has been clearing the site since November. Other historic artefacts from the site including records and part of the engine track, are already stored. The 40-acre factory closed last June with the loss of 1, 500 jobs. BL announced last autumn that it would be demolished. North Western Metal Company of Rowleys Green Lane, paid BL £ 70, 000 for the demolition job, which meant that the metal firm could take away scrap. The factory produced the prestigious Mini Coopers power unit and the entire range of MG sports car engines. At its peak in the 50s and 60s Morris Engines was manufacturing more than 40 types of car engines with a workforce of 5, 500.
26th October 1983
Coventry Telegraph Archive
Mirrorpix
Coventry
West Midlands
England
Media ID 21577562
© Mirrorpix
Coventry Factory History Motor Industry Museum Sculpture Tablet
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photo print, demolition worker Les Gilbert can be seen preparing the Morris rebus for its relocation to the Museum of British Road Transport at Cook Street, Coventry. For half a century, a magnificent stone ox adorned an 8-ft-long lintel weighing an impressive one and a half tons, overlooking visitors to the Coventry Engines plant at Courthouse Green. This iconic symbol represented the renowned factory known as Morris Engines, which gained fame as the most advanced facility in both the Morris and later BL car empire when it came to tackling intricate engine designs. With great care and precision, Les Gilbert and his team delicately lowered the ox from its prominent position above the main office block. As part of their ongoing efforts since November to clear the site following its closure last June, other historical artifacts such as records and sections of the engine track have already been safely stored away. The significance of this factory cannot be overstated; it was responsible for producing not only Mini Coopers' power units but also engines for MG sports cars. During its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Morris Engines manufactured over 40 different types of car engines with a dedicated workforce numbering 5,500 individuals. This poignant image captures not just a moment in time but also serves as a reminder of an era when innovation thrived within these walls. It stands testament to both human ingenuity and industrial progress that will forever hold a place in automotive history.
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