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The Rover name was one that was associated with both cycle and motor production in Coventry.

The origins of the Rover Company go back to 1877 when James Starley’s nephew, John Kemp Starley (1856-1901) joined forces with William Sutton as cycle manufacturers at West Orchard.

In 1885, J K Starley introduced his first design for the ‘Rover’ safety bicycle, and after modifying the basis of this design over the coming years, this was to become the standard form of most bicycles from the 1890s onwards. It was in 1896 when Starley changed the company name to the Rover Cycle Company, moving to larger premises at Garfield Road.

The early Rover safety bicycle embodies the main principles which we still have on bicycles today--a diamond shaped frame, such as wheels of nearly equal size, a saddle that is in the best riding position, handle bars steering the front wheel through forks either side of the wheel, pedals placed near the bottom centre of the bicycle for safety and a chain to drive the back wheel.

This Rover diamond frame bicycle showed how its predecessor the early 1888 Rover Safety Bicycle had indeed become the pattern for most modern bicycles.