Coventry Eagle began in 1890 as Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek but changed their name to Coventry Eagle in 1897 when John Meek left the company. In 1898 they also began experimenting with motorized vehicles and by 1899 motorcycle production had begun.

The bikes were hand built and finished with care, and have proven to be reliable. By the First World War the range had been expanded to include a 269cc two-speed Villiers light engine, a 3.5hp single and a 5hp three-speed V-twin.

Production was hampered during the war, but in 1919 production resumed and under Mayo’s direction he began building highly attractive machines.

In the early 1920s the line was cut and changed based on what engines were available at the time with the company switching between Abingdon, JAP, King Dick and Villiers engines.

In 1925 the two-stroke engine was enlarged to a 175cc Aza with an Albion two-speed gearbox. But then two-strokes were dropped entirely for a couple of seasons as the company concentrated on a wide range of four-strokes in single and twin forms and even with sidecar rigs.

In 1928 the four-stroke policy only ended with the arrival of Villiers super sport twin port engines in 147cc, 172cc and 172cc twin port super sport forms. The company also began using pressed sheet steel forks, and although this was common in Europe, Coventry Eagle was the first major British company to use this method, a move that proved highly successful over the next decade.

Coventry Eagle hit the formula right with perhaps the most iconic bike of its day, the ‘Flying 8’. This was a development of the JAP V-twin, and initially used the 976cc side-valve engine, although a 50° 980cc OHV version rolled through the 1926 season, with heavy-duty Webb beam front forks and brakes. 8-inch Royal Enfield in both. wheels, it weighed 395 pounds and had a 59-inch wheelbase.

The Flying 8 had a round, tapered fuel tank, and bore a striking resemblance to the Brough Superior of the same era. This is not surprising as George Brough and Percy Mayo spent some time together towards the end of World War I discussing the type of motorcycle they would like to make when hostilities ended and found that their tastes were remarkably similar. It had a guaranteed top speed of 80mph and when fitted with a Jardine gearbox it wasn’t cheap and the OHV Flying 8 was the second most expensive motorcycle on the market at the time.

By 1928 the Flying 8 was fitted with electric mag dyno lighting, ghost mufflers and a steering damper, and this version was considered one of the most attractive British bicycles on the market.

When the world economy collapsed in the 1930s, the Coventry Eagle was forced to change course and they concentrated on lightweight two-strokes. The last OHV Flying 8 left the factory in 1930 and the last side-valve model the following year. Coventry Eagle continued to build bicycles until the outbreak of World War II and listed a range for 1940, but very few were built after hostilities began.

In 1931, the twins were dropped, and two-stroke production continued for a few years. Many of the models were sleek and distinctive with large exhaust systems, such as on the ‘Silent Superb’. The most basic model was the 98cc ‘Marvel’. Other models were ‘Wonder’ and ‘Eclipse’ and most had a pressed steel frame.

The ‘Pullman’ arrived in 1935 with a new type of pressed steel frame with mechanical enclosure and rear wheel. The rear suspension was controlled by leaf springs along the sides of the frame.

In 1937, the single-cylinder four-stroke returned, using Matchless engines in three sizes. These, plus a two-hit variety, continued through the end of the decade.

In 1940 production, severely curtailed due to the war, soon ceased and was never resumed.