May 23rd 2011 marked the 70th anniversary of the death of Birmingham's greatest industrialist Herbert Austin 
Birmingham was said to be the city of a 1000 trades but in fact Birmingham had more than 1500! One day we hope to list all the trades but for now we list some of the major industries of Birmingham, the world's first industrial town. 
Celebrating the unique industrial history of Birmingham and Smethwick
Birmingham was not only known as the workshop of the world but the world's first industrial town. It was said of Birmingham that you could find anything being made, from an anchor to a pin! Sadly, progress has meant that a large proportion of the West Midlands' industry has been swept away by foreign competition or change in demand. Some trades, such as motorcycle manufacture and pen making, are just a distant memory and just after this web site started, in March 2005, the country's only volume car manufacturer, MG Rover at Longbridge, closed and part of the site was eventually bought and reopened by The Nanjing Automobile (Group) Corporation. Who would ever have thought that part of the birthplace of the Mini would one day be owned by a Chinese car company!
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BIRMINGHAM The city without an industrial museum!
Join our campaign for a Birmingham Museum of Industry.
Update Aug 3rd 2011