After a long period of gestation, through various makes and models and numerous small improvements, the first Cowells lathe emerged as an almost exact copy of the popular Perris PL90. With a gap bed, backgear, screwcutting, a compound slide rest (with T-slotted cross slide), dog-clutch on the leadscrew and a built-on countershaft with V-belt drive the useful specification ensured its continued success.