Motor City UK

podcast artwork

Podcast by Rob Capaldi

Motor City UK

Motor City UK tells the story of the city Coventry's relationship with the motor car. From the cycle workshops of the 19th century to the birth of the British car industry, from the boom years of mass production to the challenges of decline, and on to today’s reinvention as a global hub for electric, autonomous and advanced automotive technology development. This documentary-style podcast explores the people, places and ideas that have shaped Coventry’s automotive identity. Along the way, we hear from historians, engineers, designers, artists, event organisers and innovators - those who were there in the days of high volume manufacturing, and those defining what comes next. Motor City UK is about more than factories and machines. It’s about culture, creativity and community. About why cars mattered - and still matter - to this city, and how Coventry retains it place at as the UK's original Motor City. New episodes coming in 2026.

Latest episodes

episode artwork

16 October 2026

Motor City UK | EP11 – From Research to the Workshop Floor: The Future of UK Manufacturing

Coventry's Manufacturing Technology Centre works in the space between research and industrialisation, helping businesses understand how emerging technologies can be used in real factories. In this episode of Motor City UK, we visit the MTC to explore what advanced manufacturing means for the future of Britain's automotive industry.

The discussion moves from UK manufacturing competitiveness and automation to one of the MTC's more unusual projects: developing intelligent robotic systems capable of dismantling electric vehicle batteries at the end of their life.

Topics include:

  • Advanced manufacturing in the UK
  • Automotive robotics and automation
  • Artificial intelligence and physical AI
  • EV battery recycling and remanufacturing
  • Digital twins and machine vision
  • Coventry's changing automotive industry

A look at the engineering that sits between an innovative idea and something capable of working reliably at industrial scale.

Motor City UK explores the people, places and technologies shaping Britain's original Motor City.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

The Manufacturing Technology Centre

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

54:27

episode artwork

02 October 2026

Motor City UK | EP10 - Behind the Scenes at the British Motor Museum

What does it take to preserve Britain’s automotive history? Motor City UK goes behind the scenes at the British Motor Museum to explore how historic British cars are collected, conserved, restored and kept running.

Rob Capaldi joins the museum’s curatorial and workshop teams at Gaydon to investigate the decisions behind one of the world’s most significant collections of historic British vehicles. From deciding which cars deserve a place in the permanent collection to balancing originality against restoration, the episode explores what it really means to preserve a motor car — including why some museum vehicles are deliberately still driven.

Topics include:

  • The origins of the British Motor Museum collection and British Leyland heritage
  • How museums decide which historic cars to preserve
  • Restoration versus conservation and the importance of originality
  • Keeping historic vehicles operational and preserving engineering skills
  • The changing definition of an historically important car
  • How today's EVs and concept cars become tomorrow's automotive history

Motor City UK explores the people, places, engineering and culture behind Coventry and Britain’s relationship with the motor car.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

British Motor Museum

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

38:18

episode artwork

10 July 2026

Motor City UK | EP09 – The Wells Vertige - The Modern British Sportscar

Modern sports cars continue to evolve through performance, size, and technology, yet a parallel conversation remains around simplicity and driver involvement. This episode of Motor City UK explores that tension through the story of Wells Motor Cars and its exciting, lightweight, Vertige.

In a workshop deep int he Warwickshire countryside, a different approach to sports car design takes shape, one focused on restraint, proportion, and engagement rather than scale.

Topics covered include:

  • UK low-volume automotive manufacturing
  • Coventry and Warwickshire automotive heritage
  • Lightweight sports car design philosophy
  • Driver engagement vs modern performance trends
  • The development of the Vertige
  • The future of small British sports car makers

A detailed look at how one project fits into a much longer regional and industrial story.

Motor City UK explores the people, places and technologies shaping Britain's original Motor City.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

Wells Motor Cars Instagram

Wells Motor Cars Webpage

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

42:45

episode artwork

12 June 2026

Motor City UK | EP08 – MotoFest LIVE - The People Behind the Cars

MotoFest brings thousands of people into Coventry city centre each year, but beyond the cars themselves lies a much bigger story.

In this special episode of Motor City UK, recorded on location throughout Coventry MotoFest 2026, we explore the people who keep the city's automotive culture alive today.

From concours judges and classic car enthusiasts to grassroots motorsport organisers, educators, historians and civic leaders, we hear how Coventry's relationship with the motor car continues to evolve.

Along the way we discover forgotten stories, celebrate iconic vehicles, explore the future of automotive skills, and ask what car culture means in a city that helped shape the industry for more than a century.

Featuring:

  • Roger Bailey, Lord Mayor of Coventry
  • James Noble, Festival Director, MotoFest
  • Mike Riley, Riley Cars Archive Heritage Trust
  • Organisers of the XJ40@40 celebration
  • Coventry College
  • Loughborough Car Club
  • Concours judges Iain Tyrrell, Marc Allum and Dominic Taylor-Lane

Motor City UK explores the people, places and technologies shaping Britain's original Motor City.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

Coventry MotoFest

Loughborough Car Club

XJ40 Register

Welcome to the Riley Cars Archive Heritage Trust

Coventry College

Iain Tyrrell

Marc Allum

Dominic Taylor-Lane

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

01:02:20

episode artwork

29 May 2026

Motor City UK | EP07 – How Forza Horizon Is Creating the Next Generation of Car Enthusiasts

Can a video game inspire a lifelong passion for cars? In this episode of Motor City UK, we explore how Forza Horizon, the British Motor Museum and the wider West Midlands automotive ecosystem are helping shape the next generation of enthusiasts.

Recorded at the British Motor Museum's Forza Horizon: The Experience launch event, this episode examines the growing overlap between gaming, engineering, automotive heritage and modern car culture. From developers and museum leaders to drifters, journalists and vehicle builders, we explore how digital and physical automotive worlds increasingly connect.

  • Forza Horizon and Playground Games
  • British Motor Museum
  • Coventry and West Midlands automotive heritage
  • Automotive engineering careers
  • Drift culture and motorsport
  • Arctic Trucks and enthusiast communities

Motor City UK explores the people, places and technologies shaping Britain's original Motor City.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

British Motor Museum

Forza Horizon 6

Playground Games

RDX Drift Academy

Arctic Trucks

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

38:39

episode artwork

15 May 2026

Motor City UK | EP06 – Coventry in the 20th Century: Reconstruction and the Car Industry

Coventry’s post-war reconstruction reshaped not only the city itself, but the wider British motor industry. In this episode of Motor City UK, we explore how wartime shadow factories, industrial expansion and large-scale manufacturing transformed Coventry into one of the defining automotive centres of post-war Britain.

Joined by historian Damian Kimberley at Coventry Transport Museum, the episode traces the growth of Jaguar, Rootes, Standard Triumph and more in Coventry, alongside the gradual shift from industrial confidence towards consolidation, labour disputes and the end of mass car production in the city.

  • Coventry Blitz and post-war reconstruction
  • Shadow factories and wartime production
  • Jaguar at Browns Lane
  • Rootes Group
  • British Leyland, Chrysler and Peugeot
  • LEVC and the future of Coventry manufacturing

Motor City UK explores the relationship between transport, industry and identity in Britain’s original motor city.

Find Motor City UK on Instagram @MotorCityPod

---------------------------------------

Damien Kimberley's books on Coventry's transport heritage:

Coventry's Motorcar Heritage https://amzn.to/4cdovpm

Coventry's Bicycle Heritage https://amzn.to/4qSLpWq

Coventry's Motorcycle Heritage https://amzn.to/4s6lcEX

---------------------------------------

Motor City UK is created, produced and hosted by Rob Capaldi, Get in touch with Rob in one of the following ways:

Instagram

LinkedIn

00:00

33:59