Jaguar's Brown's Lane factory in Coventry is for many people the company's spiritual home in a city that could be regarded as the birthplace of the British motor industry.

The first car manufacturing operation started in Coventry in the late 19th century while Brown's Lane has been a part of most of Jaguar's history.

The company was born from the vision of William Lyons, who began by assembling motorcycle sidecars in a Blackpool garage. His Swallow Sidecar Company, set up with a friend, William Walmsley, gained a reputation for innovative design and high quality.

Their success led to Swallow car bodies that could be fitted to the chassis of manufacturers such as Austin, Standard and Fiat.

They moved to Coventry for expansion reasons in 1928 and over the next 10 years their own SS coupes and sedans took off. In 1935 the first model to bear the Jaguar name - the SS Jaguar two-litre sports sedan - rolled off the production line. The company survived the 1930s Depression with a reputation for excellence and quality with a succession of classic models.

Brown's Lane makes XJ saloons and XK sports cars.