A remarkable chapter of Twickenham's industrial past is set to be celebrated in style this summer, as a special car show at the St Margarets Fair brings the borough's hidden motor heritage back to life.

On Saturday 5 July, Moor Mead Park will host the car show from midday to 6pm, marking 125 years since the birth of Twickenham's motor industry.

The forgotten story was recently told in local author Robin Hunter's book, Twickenham Motorcars: A Local History of Motor Manufacturing, which argues that Twickenham, not Coventry, is the true birthplace of the British motor industry through the production of the 'New Orleans' car.

Built in Twickenham in 1900 just behind King Street, the vehicle was once manufactured in large numbers for the era.

Hunter says the car's origins have long been overshadowed by other manufacturing hubs.

Twickenham Motorcars: A Local History of Motor Manufacturing, talks about the birthplace of the motorcar (credit: Robin Hunter).

However, thanks to a challenge set by Classic & Sports Car magazine, four of the five surviving examples have been confirmed to appear at the fair and organisers are hopeful that all five will be reunited for the first time ever.

Twickenham's contribution to motoring history stretches far beyond the 'New Orleans'.

Over the first half of the 20th century, the area played host to the production of buses, motorcycles, scooters, commercial vehicles and even Formula 3 racing cars.

Notably, St Margarets was the home of the 1930s Emeryson racing car, and several examples from this era, along with other rare machines, are expected to be on display.

St Margarets Fair is at Moor Mead Park on 5 July from 12pm to 6pm (credit: Mike Clubbe).

Among the more unusual exhibits will be agricultural vehicles built by British Anzani in Hampton Hill,.

St Margarets Fair organisers said: "Twickenham was pioneering the use of electric boats on the River Thames in the 1890s, built in Twickenham.

"This remarkable and untold story will also be told at the event. At the same boatyard on Eel Pie Island where electric boats were being constructed, Daimler motorboats went into production.

"As this precedes the first British Daimler car being made in Coventry, Eel Pie Island in Twickenham is the true birthplace of Britain's motor industry."

To find out more about the St Margarets Fair click here.

We want to provide Twickenham with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.