Old NW car dealers

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andy43 said:

Nolar Dog said:

sider said:

Does this place have a white frontage with a chequered-flag type logo with red text???

I called at somewhere near Christies about 5 yrs back and the guy had a really old Jag racer in - will have a look for the pics of it that i took on my phone tonight. I'm sure he had a Ferrari Daytona in too. Seemed a lot of nice metal for a car radio fitter!

Yes. Thay's the place. Ther's a bit more to him than fitting car radios

Edited by Nolar Dog on Wednesday 23 June 10:37

I have heard some stories about him all the way back to the 70's. A character.
Transound was on Wilmslow Road, but was burnt to the ground a couple of years ago.
A complete mystery apparently. Cough.
Cars Leon had from memory were a red Countach - the last ugly-wide-silled one - reg WOW1, a black Bentley Continental (the proper 60s one), met grey Aston DB5/6, tdf blue Dino, all taking turns to be stored in the workshops overnight. That Lambo used to be almost permenantly kept there - engine on for 60 seconds twice a day to move it out and in again to get customers cars in there.

He reminded me of that John McCrirrick (sp?) racing chap when i met him!

I saw the blue Dino - very nice. The Jag was a green D-type racer i think. I have pics somewhere - will root em out and post them up.

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North West Tom said:

Saw an RCZ outside there last week.

Good spot! I've not seen one on the road yet. The reviews seem to suggest that Peugeot are getting a bit closer to the mark again!

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Does anyone remember what the Saab dealer on Elephant Lane in St Helens was called??

Now Millenium Motorcycles.

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The place in Wigan - was it the original Ron Hodgsons garage?

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Pistonho - excellent post there! Some classic names. I remember the days when Lookers were called Lookers GBE but never remember them just being GBE.

Not dead clear but is that mag dated 04-10 November 1982? If so, the day after, when the next copy was issued for sale was the day when i was born!!

Edited by sider on Wednesday 25th August 22:47

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Ad reminds me - Mount Motor Company - not the same one but does any one remember Mount Motor Co on the way out of Wigan, towards Westhoughton? Was a Mitsubishi dealer i think.

Also, Talbot Horizon - my Dad had a silver one of thsoe - 5 door, think it was a C reg. It was either that or a brand new Yugo! Wise choice i think.

Remember my Auntie had a Nissan Cherry too. Red one. (ad next to Talbot one).

Edited by sider on Wednesday 25th August 22:51

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The Infidel said:

ETA, another blast from the past, Gathurst Motors, Vauxhall dealer at the bottom end of Shevington. Anybody local to the area also remember Foxfield Motors in its original location at the top of "the S bends" when it was an Austin Rover dealers with a petrol station that did a nifty sideline in caravan sales?

Edited by The Infidel on Wednesday 15th September 23:13

I remember that. My Dad test drove an L reg Montego there. Must've been one of the very last registered. Never bought it.

He had a few cars off Foxfield when they moved to Martland Park - all Fiats though - shame they've gone now - always seemed a really busy dealership.

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brt900 said:

im pretty sure that rs200 which stood in that shop for quite some time is now for sale in ron hodgson as it is advertised on PH being such a rare car i assume its the same car

Thats the one. I think Mrs Hodgson has made Ron try to sell it - but i was once chatting with him and he said he'd never sell it!!

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binlicker said:

North West Tom said:

There was a dealer at the Shevy S-bends? It's all fields now with a couple of houses. Must have been before I was born.

There's houses there now, as you go from Shevington towards Wigan it used to be on the left about 50 yards after the big white house on the corner. Think its called Foxglove Crescent or something like that now.

Foxfield Grove? That was where the original Foxfield garage was before they moved to Challenge Park and then went under.

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North West Tom said:

Opposite the church? Jesus! (no pun intended) when did the houses get built? Or when did the dealer move?

Well my Dad tested a Montego there and it was one of the very last ones they did - probably about 1993.

Foxfield opened in their new garage in late 1995 as my Dad bought a new Fiat there on 1st Aug 96 as a P reg.

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Aiden Piers website says

"Aidan Piers Ltd has been in business since Feb 1993"

Feel like they've been around longer than that!

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Been up to Bygone times today and drove through Heskin, can't believe the old HW Moon Toyota place hasn't been converted into a carpet or tile warehouse yet!

Sign of the times i suppose!

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Do you mean the new MTB at the back of the Vauxhall place?

Last i heard they seemed to be no longer the franchised dealer for Chrysler/Dodge, but just did servicing.

Shame as they've been with Jeep for years.

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tractorguy said:

Adrian Smith - saab, Lloyds have now taken on.

Was that the little place near the Little Chef on the way out West?

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geminitrain said:

Any of you guys remember Roe moor Peugeot at Eccleston it's now Ideal car supermarket. There's still Rigbys citroen in Eccleston been there donkeys and one of the last family owned dealerships around.

That Rigbyes place is very small - fair play though for surviving!

Is Clock Renault still in Chorley? Not really been up Chorley way since i left my last employer about 3 yrs back.

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Went past former Bentley ribble valley in rishton last week - wow that place looks battered!

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melvster said:

Anyone remember Top Marques in Sandbach????? I remeber going past there around 8 years ago and they had a silver BMW Z8 in at one point, always sold some nice cars.


also, Kevin Odlum Citroen? The grand daughter was in my class at primary school and i knew of the owners, I wanted a Saxo VTR very badly. Think they lost the dealership in around 2005.

I did a bit of work in the car industry in 2004 between jobs, for about 3 days, and spoke with that Citroen dealer. Got the impression it was just him and his mate and a few cars. Knew what he was talking about though and was offering some cracking prices.

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Does Mr Moon (or his family) still own HW Moon in Wigan, or has it been taken over by a bigger group?

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ginettajoe said:

.... the 959 that Leon owned for a short period, stood him at £650,000 at that time!! Unfortunately Leon passed away not long ago, RIP.

Not sure if the same bloke, a big chap, 60's, reminded me of
John McRirrick a bit! Was that Leon?

I was working on a job at Christies once and called in to Transound, there was a hideous looking Orion outside, H reg ish (this was about 2004/2005) and a really smart Golf GTI Mk5 (not been around long then) - so called in for a nosey at the Golf really and to see how much for a DAB aerial for my then new car.

If it was Leon, a nice chap and let me have a look in the back. Nothing major in there - just a D-type Jag - very nice! Got a few pics somewhere that i took that day.

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Is Transound still there by the way?

Just had a look on Google streetview to see if anything tasty and can't even find it.

Address is 310 Wilmslow Road, but at 306 is a Wetherspoons and Starbucks and no sign of Transound - guessing it's been flattened for flats and those two shops?