The Cowley Car-Makers Project

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The 'Cowley Car-Makers' project is an ambitious project to document and promote all aspects of the history of car production in Oxford.

The impact of car making has had a profound effect on shaping the way this ancient city operates. The people, the places and politics of the city have all been influenced by the actions of William Morris and the arrival of industrialisation to the farmland around Cowley in the first decades of the twentieth century.

Led by the History Faculty the project is in the process of creating a new website dedicated to documenting this rich and fascinating history. 

Researchers involved with the project are concerned with topics such as: the life and work of William Morris (Lord Nuffield); the design and manufacture of cars from the production of the Bullnose Morris onwards; the role of immigration in supplying workers to meet demand; the consequences of the rapid population growth of the city; the role of women as workers in the factory and in the home; the development of trade unionism; the social and cultural impact on the city; the evolution of factory ownership from Morris Motors to British Leyland and BMW. These, and much more.

We see the involvement of local people as central to the project. It is their stories and experiences that will give the website depth and an authentic voice. It is often the case that the history of the dreaming spires overshadows the rich history of local people. Our website will seek to redress some of that imbalance and it is planned that in time the website will be handed over to the community.

We are committed to creating resources that will be of interest to local people and future historians. We plan to capture the stories and memories of people who worked at, or who were associated with the car factory, along with digital copies of artefacts associated with the plant.

Over the past year we have developed links with the Oxford Bus Museum – home to the Morris Motors Museum, the British Motor Museum, Nuffield Place | Oxfordshire | National Trust, Nuffield College, Oxford University and the Oxfordshire History Centre | Oxfordshire County Council

Our actions are informed by a Project Steering Committee made up of local community and heritage organisations and people with knowledge of the factory and the city. The group meets regularly throughout the year to receive updates and provide feedback.