The little-known car-making heritage of Bath has just been celebrated.
A 1923 Horstmann Tourer went back to its roots when it was taken to city firm Horstman Defence. The visit was organised to mark the company's 100th anniversary.
Launched as the Horstmann Car Company in 1913 by Sidney Horstmann, the firm was at the forefront of the automotive industry for several years and made almost 3,000 cars up until the end of the 1920s.
Now the company, based at Locksbrook Road, specialises in military vehicle suspension systems.
The company altered the spelling of its name after the world wars because it was thought to sound too German.
Stuart Burroughs, director of the Museum of Bath at Work, said: "One hundred years ago, cars were very new and very high tech, so everyone was dabbling in them. There were several people in Bath who were involved in making them – everyone was trying to get a piece of the action."
He added: "Most people who visit the city wouldn't ever think of Bath as being an engineering city but here in the 21st century there are many firms doing high tech precision engineering. Even in Bath you can find companies that are internationally recognised."
The visit last week was for the recreation of a photograph taken at the firm in 1949 of a car and the workforce.
Managing director, Ian Pain, said: "Horstmann back then was at the cutting edge of what it did and we still are. It's not what Bath is well known for (engineering) – it's probably the city's best-kept industrial secret.
"We are still at the forefront of what we do with the defence industry but now we have a worldwide foot plan – 75 per cent of what we make is exported to allied countries around the world. We are a manufacturing success story in our own right."
On September 1 the museum is hosting an event at Alice Park where a collection of surviving Horstmann cars will be on show.
