WOLVERHAMPTON.- A new exhibition that opened at Wolverhampton City Archives this weekend explores the city’s once-thriving motor industry. The Wolverhampton Motor Industry Exhibition (Saturday 3 August – Monday 30 September) both celebrates and examines the history of this industry through original documents, photographs and other material taken from the collections of Wolverhampton City Archives.

The exhibition focuses in particular on Guy Motors, Sunbeam and its land speed record achievements, AJS and two once-successful companies which failed to stand the test of time – Clyno and Star.

To celebrate the launch of the exhibition, a classic Clyno car is outside the City Archives building, allowing visitors to get up close to a piece of Wolverhampton history. The exhibition also features a Wolverhampton-made 1913 Sunbeam motorcycle kindly loaned to the Archives by the Black Country Living Museum for the duration of the display.

Jon Everall, Acting Service Manager at Wolverhampton City Archives commented: “The motor industry played a very significant part in making Wolverhampton the city it is today. We are very pleased to be able to present this exhibition of archive material which will give our visitors fantastic insight into the story of one of Wolverhampton’s most important trades.”

The Wolverhampton Motor Industry Exhibition opened on Saturday 3 August and runs until the end of September. It is based on the first floor of the Molineux Hotel Building, home of the City Archives, and admission is free.