Cornwall's motor industry

Trevithick's road locomotive

Hidden away in the steep sided combes of south–western Britain, concealed behind unremarkable facades in market towns and sleepy hamlets, tucked deep down into wooded valleys or crouched against the elements on wind blasted heaths and moors, something is stirring. This is Britain’s crumple zone against the Atlantic and, against very long odds, Cornwall is still home to an ongoing automotive tradition that has been quietly surviving for over two hundred years.

If someone announced that they had written a book on Cornwall’s motor industry, a very slim volume would probably be the result – not so much a book as a pamphlet. Being able to produce over 150 well illustrated A4 pages initially seems nothing short of remarkable. Having read Cornwall’s Motor Industry by Peter Tutthill, it’s clear that he has unearthed a wealth of material and some fascinating insights into a surprisingly varied cottage industry. I am also struck by the influence of Cornwall’s landscape upon its motor cars.

Cap’n Trevithick didn’t idly speed across some open moor on Christmas Day 1801 – he pointed his first motor car at Camborne Hill. Since then most of Cornish motorsport has been concerned with climbing hills, either in trials, which are not against the clock, or speed hillclimbs, which are.

I first met Peter Tutthill nearly ten years ago when he gave a talk about the old motor racing circuit at Davidstow. He is a very entertaining speaker and the event, hosted by the Camel Vale Motor Club was full of very appreciative motor enthusiasts. At the end of his talk, Peter announced his next project – a history of the many motor vehicles made in Cornwall. He asked the audience to contact him if they had any personal knowledge of these activities themselves. Many of us did. Lurking in my garage is a device called Kermit, a Citroen powered hillclimbing trike that was built in a week by Phil Williams of Tywardreath. I queued up to speak to Peter and told him all about Kermit and the subsequent Alfa Romeo powered version known as Luigi. Peter was fascinated but unfortunately neither qualified for inclusion in his forthcoming book.

“I feel I’ve really taken the lid off something,” he said. “I’m going to have to restrict the scope of the book to vehicles only ever made for sale to the public. If I include all the specials and one–offs that have been built by the Cornish it’s already clear that the book will be too big!”

Peter is the compleat enthusiast. He won the inaugural Motormind competition sponsored by Autocar magazine, like Mastermind but the specialised subject and general knowledge questions were all about cars. He’s very generous with his encyclopaedic knowledge and as I was researching cars based on Hillman Imps, I was invited to his home where he showed me articles on all manner of obscure cars based on these rev–happy little cars.

Peter is also an accomplished linguist. His thirst for knowledge and interest in the most obscure types of motor car have taken him all over the world and allowed him to communicate with many other enthusiasts, typically in their mother tongue.

However, it was the local motor industry that prompted his enthusiasm. Treading completely new ground, this well researched labour of love was launched on 1^st April 2007 with a gathering of Cornish built cars in Trispen, near the site of a Cornish motor industry hotspot. In fact, from the evidence contained in his book, there don’t seem to be any cold spots.

Peter wasn’t just writing this book over the last ten years. He assembled enough material for a separate book on Rowe Hillmasters, a local variety of truck and bus especially designed for operation in Cornwall. He also embraced non–Cornish manufacturers such as Paramount, Turner and Kieft. Clearly, the man has a talent for teasing out the details about obscure makes of motorcar.

Although covering 200 years, I am particularly encouraged that Peter’s book is bang up–to–date with the inclusion of Cornish supercars such as the Blackjack, Javan, Gloster and Jetstream. The demise of Holman in 2004 is particularly sad, especially as it celebrated its birth in 1801, the year of Trevithick’s triumphal ascent. However, both are examples of success over adversity. For reasons I cannot comprehend, the earliest motor carriages were discriminated against first by turnpike trusts and then government legislation with the punitive Red Flag Act. In the light of this and subsequent opposition to making anything in the UK, it’s a minor miracle we still have a motor industry of any sort. 

I recently spoke to Peter about his latest adventure in publishing. The Cornish media have been infuriatingly slow to recognise the significance of Peter’s latest work but this is nothing new. I can tell that his book doesn’t sit nicely with the adverts for estate agents, holiday home letting companies and attractions for all the family. Peter hinted that there may one day be a companion volume on the specials and one offs that he has discovered along the way. He is hoping to flush out more information now that the book is published.

In the meantime, Cornwall’s Motor Industry by Peter Tutthill is available from all good bookshops at £17.50 in paperback or £27.50 hardback. You can also order it direct from Peter at “Woodcott”, Trevanion Road, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7PA (01208 812358).