History is repeating its self!Gunmaker,Thomas Horsley of York, designed and built automobiles in the 1900,s.In addition he was granted patents for disc valve gear for automobile engines in 1908 & 1909. In his book, "Thomas Horsley Gunmaker of York," David Baker describes a trip made in 1924 by the Horsley family, in which they drove a Horsley automobile to the Motor show in London.
Unfortunately despite much effort,the enterprise did not succeed.
Transportation was of great interest to the English gun makers of the Victorian and Edwardian era, with many trying their hand at bicycle and motor cycle manufacture. [B.S.A. Greener,F. Williams,to name but a few.]
In The U.S.A. The early gun makers[ie:Wilkinson,Whitney,Hall, Blanchard & North.] Developed machines and systems that shaped the future of the machine tool industry and the concepts of mass production, which were ultimately adopted by the autombile and other industries.