1920s Coventry Eagle Roadster
24″ Frame
28″ Wheels
Frame No 48782
(Now sold)
It’s not often you see an early Coventry Eagle bicycle. Founded in 1890, they were a company with a good reputation, being early builders of motorcycles and forecars, and supplying military bicycles to the army before and during World War One. By the 1920s, Coventry Eagle was better known for its motorcycles, and not many pre-1930 Coventry Eagle bicycles have survived. The catalogue illustration below is of a 1909 ‘Popular’ model, with the earlier style of chainwheel.
This example is in good all round condition and ready to ride.
1909 COVENTRY EAGLE CATALOGUE EXTRACTS
COVENTRY EAGLE CYCLE & MOTOR Co Ltd,
Bishopsgate Green Works, Foleshill Rd, Coventry
Coventry Eagle is best known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but like the majority of such firms, the business began by making bicycles – in 1890 as Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek. They changed their name to Coventry Eagle in 1897 when John Meek left the company.
Coventry Eagle’s first cycles to be offered were ‘Royal Eagle’ safety models; by 1898, they also began to experiment with motorised vehicles including forecars and motor-bicycles.
Production was naturally hampered during WWI, but resumed in 1919, and through the guidance of Percy Mayo, began to build motorcycles of wide appeal mostly powered by JAP engines using Montgomery frames.
After a works move to Foleshill Road, by the mid-1920s Coventry Eagle released perhaps one of their most iconic motorcycles – the 998cc ‘Flying 8’ model. The ‘Pullman’ arrived in 1936 and a few years later, the economic 98cc lightweight ‘Auto-Ette’.
By 1950, The company were only producing a small range of cycles and auto-cycles as the industry began to suffer nationally. One final move to Tile Hill saw only the production of cycles but this was all finally wound up in 1959.
1918 COVENTRY EAGLE CATALOGUE EXTRACTS
THE BRITISH ARMY & COVENTRY EAGLE CYCLES
