I was brought up in Coventry during its motor city hey-days of the 60s and 70s. Daimler/Jaguar, Rootes/Hillman/Chrysler/Talbot/Peugeot and Triumph/British Leyland/Rover were not only giants in the city's economy but in the national scene as well.

Some of the cars weren't that great, but many were - and they all got the nation moving in the heady years. The Heralds, Avengers and E-Types gave the city a reason to wake up early. (And many are still running, such as the Jaguar XK140 and Triumph TR3 - see below right - photographed by Peter Riley at the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique earlier this month.)

Last Saturday, as unions warned of the imminent demise of a major motor factory, I was back for a visit and headed for a long early morning training run.

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