What would eventually become the Rover company began by manufacturing one of the landmark designs in the history of human transportation: the 'Safety Bicycle'.

The firm's first venture into powered transportation came in 1888 with an electrically powered tricycle but it would be another 16 years, by which time its founder J K Starley had died, before the Rover Cycle Company began experimenting with the internal combustion engine.

Designer Edmund Lewis was recruited from Daimler and drew up Rover's first series-production automobile, an 8hp single-cylinder with aluminium backbone frame, an adventurous design that despite its shortcomings remained in production until 1912.

Lewis followed up with a more conventional 6hp model, which earned itself the distinction of being Rover's first entered in any competition, in this case the Bexhill Speed Trials of 1902.

Before his departure for Siddeley-Deasy, Lewis bequeathed another significant design, the 16/20hp, winner of the 1907 Isle of Ma...