British Pressed Panels (B P P)

I can find out that BPP made fuselages, rudders, elevators, seats, doors; press and beaten panels and sheet metal work in all metals, also one of their workers was in the Auxiliary fire brigade and was killed. The only web site that keeps turning up is Flightglobal/archive.

Thank you all again so much or the additional links and information. I think a trip to the Coventry history centre at the Herbert may well be in order very soon. I really would like to trace social and indistrial history of company more. NormK, the lamp I have appears to be hand spun on a metal lathe rather than pressed. Do you think they may well have had metal spinners on staff too. The elephant def looks like it could have been pressed. In addition to their confirmed manufacture of plane parts, what others types of work do you feel would have been 'up their street' ? Did you mention that your father was a delivery driver for them? Grace website and link ref airplane parts really interesting thanks. Thanks again and please do post if you have any further leads/ info. Kindest regards, nicola x

Hello. I cannot comment any further on this. My older brother is coming up from Devon on Thursday and maybe he will know more about it than me. In the meantime good luck!

NormK, thanks again. Hopefully your brother may well remember bits too. When roughly do you think your father might have worked there? PS, nice fish in your photo, it will give rise to fish envy from my husband and son. Hope you have a nice time catching up with your brother, thanks, Nicola

I am not aware of the location of the works on Quinton Road or indeed if they were manufacturing from there in 1920. I did find an aerial view of Quinton Road from 1920 and wondered if anyone can pinpoint BPP from the link. Quinton Road and Area, 1920

Up until the late 1930's Motor Panels pressed out motor body panels for contract coachbuilders. This was at the end of era of timber (ash) body frames and the panels were shipped to the coachbuilders who assembled the panels onto the ash frames. Latterly Mulliner's Ltd in Birmingham who built bodies for the likes of Daimler and Alvis among others, were their customers. Mulliners tried to acquire Motor Panels just before the war, but it did not happen although I believe they took over the patents. I think Motor Panels were 'saved by the war', like so many traditional firms, by making aircraft parts.

Thank you Alvisnick. Do you think that BPP would have undertaken similar work to Motor Panels Ltd ? Just worked out from google maps that the VW garage at 1 Quinton Road now occupies the former BPP site in its entirety. Will try and uncover planning history of the site to work out when BPP ceased trading and buildings were demolished. Will post again when I have more info. In the meantime if anyone has any more info or uncovers any other details please do let me know. Best wishes nicola

I found BPP in a 1940 Trade Directory, Telephone No. 60207

The last time I was at Listers, Quinton Road, I asked about the long old wall that runs the entire length of the car park, I was told they cannot do anything with it because it is listed, I have a feeling this wall is part of the old factory, and then again why would they give a factory wall listed status? Yet it is certainly in the correct place.

Just found this in my searching. Bomb Damage to BPP

Such great information coming forward from all parties Thank you!!! Have had contact with a lovely chap via another website. He has confirmed that there are two firms with BPP initials in his mid 1930s Coventry directory. One is British Pressed Panels Ltd of Quinton Road and the other British Pressed Panels (Sunrayn Ltd) Co, motor panels manufacturers of Edward Street. I wonder if anyone had heard of this second company or knows anything of their history? Feeling a little stumped, so unusual to have two companies of the same name trading in the same town. Kind regards to all, Nicola

c.1937

Annewiggy. Thank you so much for copying up the BPP advert from 1937. It's a great thing to see. Where did you source it from? I visited Coventry last week and discovered that BPP was established in 1929 and originally was linked with Sunrayn Ltd working out of Edward street factory. Later moving to Quinton with significant expansion. I'm off to bed now but will put up all findings over weekend. It's an exciting and very interesting story Nicola x

The advert was from the Coventry Official Handbook 1937, I was looking for something else and came across the BPP ad.

Interesting, I used to live in the only house in Edward Street. It was a 2 up, 2 down terrace type house but it was on its own so it was actually detached. You can imagine how cold it was with every room having 3 outside walls. Anyway, the only other building in Edward Street was a warehouse type building used to build and store props for the Belgrade theatre. I therefore assume that this Sunrayn firm were based in that building.