A 'Coventry Premier' motorcycle
The 'Coventry Premier' name is one that is associated with the manufacture of cycles, motorcycles and motorcars in Coventry.
William Hillman and William H. Herbert first set up as Hillman & Herbert - cycle manufacturers in 1875, and by 1876 were joined by George Cooper. The company became very reputable throughout the cycling world making cycles of all kinds mostly under the 'Premier' name. By the early 1890s the company became known as the
Premier Cycle Company and at one time claimed to be the 'largest cycle company in the world'.
It was not until 1908 that
Premier entered the motor market, introducing a 3.5hp belt-driven motorcycle. In 1912 a cyclecar was offered, and in 1914, a four-cylinder car under the 'Coventry Premier' name was released.
After William Hillman's death in 1921, the
Singer Motor Company acquired the 'Coventry Premier' name and such vehicles continued to be built for just a further two years.