Francis-Barnett was originally founded in 1919, by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett, and based in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, England. In the post-war era economical transport was at a premium and the new motorcycle was developed not only with the motorcycle enthusiasts in mind, but also for citizens who needed reasonably priced personal transport. Most of their light motorcycles used Villiers and later AMC two-stroke engines.

In the 1930s the company developed the 250 cc Cruiser, one of the first motorcycles to have a faired engine, protecting the rider from oil and dirt. Francis Barnett was taken over by Associated Motor Cycles in 1947 and combined with James in 1957.

The combined firm remained in business until 1966. The new ownership aims to bring back the Francis-Barnett name into the biking world with their range of new bikes. They are based just a few miles outside of Coventry, in the historic town of Kenilworth.

Frontline Developments, based near Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and started by engineer Tim Fenna in 1992,  has built up a solid reputation for designing and building upgraded components for fitting to classic British sports cars, such as the MGB and Spridgets and Triumphs. Their aim is to combine yesterday's heritage with today's state-of-the-art technology, by completely transforming the performance of these cars - from handling and roadholding to gearbox and engine characteristics, while maintaining their classic looks and character. 

In more recent years, Frontline has built up a solid reputation for re-engineering the much-loved MGB GT and roadster, under its Factory Edition and Bespoke Edition programmes. The two original Factory Editions, the LE50, a Mazda powered version of the GT and the more potent Abingdon Roadster both sold out their production runs. These have now been replaced by the lastest models, the potent V8 engined LE60, succeeding the LE50, and a full electric version, the BEE, based on either the GT and roadster.