Hughenden Motors BMW High Wycombe - Any Info

[neutral 3]

Anyone remember Hughendon Motors BMW main agents ?

[Dr Jekyll]

I do, I thought they linked up with the dealer in Gerrards Cross to make the current BMW High Wycombe main agents.

[a8hex]

neutral 3 said:

Anyone remember Hughendon Motors BMW main agents ?

Not been there for 25 plus years. They were the main dealer in town. I used to work for Rapid Recall where half the cars seemed to be Beamers, so they were always about in the office.

[LanceRS]

The Gerard's Cross dealer was Prophets. They disappeared a long time ago which puzzled me because they seemed to be doing well. Having said that, in the late 80s I worked for Orfords in Ruislip (E&O for those a bit older, Milcars and then Scothall for those a bit younger) there were a rediculous number of dealerships around. Into the 90s lots of them folded when the world ran out of money all of sudden.

[Himself]

They became Sytner High Wycombe, a few of the Hugenden staff are still there according to my brother who lives in Hughenden Valley.

[neutral 3]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated! If anyone can put me in contact with any former Hughendon staff, that would be great !

Does anyone know if Anton ( Tony ) Hille is still with us ? He was Joint MD of BMW Concessionaires.

And yes, there were too many BMW dealers around and so many have folded, inc Cronks, First Front, Nick Van Der Steen ( who were only around for a couple of years it would seem ) Cheyne Motors of Chelsea Graham Horder was the owner, where are you now ??
Central ( Roy Salvadories garage ) Pennines ( who had 2 branches ) G. Eric Hunt and many more.

If anyone has info on any of the old BMW dealers, please let me know. Any info much appreciated.

[iSore]

I bought an early E32 750iL from what was Hughendens, from a mechanic there whose name escapes me. Must be over 15 years ago.

If I remember right, Cheyne got the bullet because they were importing cars from elsewhere and bypassing BMW GB. Hungerford Garages were taken over by Dick Turpin. I think the only BMW dealership left from the seventies is Batemans up in Cumbria.

[neutral 3]

Yet Another long gone very early BMW dealers, anyone remember John Brodrick LTD ? This 2000Ti brochure dates from circa 1966 / 67 I believe.
This is the car that gave BMW such a strong foothold in Britain.

[neutral 3]

This brochure is stamped " Huddersfield Garages Ltd, Mount, Huddersfield " are they the same people as John Brodrick Ltd of Huddersfield ?

[cbgt3]

I remember them well as I only lived a couple of miles from them and my wife lived about a mile up the hill in Naphill, used to get my spare parts from them when I had a 4 year old E21 320. The building is still there but are used as offices now and they are indeed now Sytner BMW along the London Road in the old Davenport Vernon Vauxhall site.

[Olf]

neutral 3 said:

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated! If anyone can put me in contact with any former Hughendon staff, that would be great !

Does anyone know if Anton ( Tony ) Hille is still with us ? He was Joint MD of BMW Concessionaires.

And yes, there were too many BMW dealers around and so many have folded, inc Cronks, First Front, Nick Van Der Steen ( who were only around for a couple of years it would seem ) Cheyne Motors of Chelsea Graham Horder was the owner, where are you now ??
Central ( Roy Salvadories garage ) Pennines ( who had 2 branches ) G. Eric Hunt and many more.

If anyone has info on any of the old BMW dealers, please let me know. Any info much appreciated.

My Mum worked for Graham at Cheyne for many years.

[samuri]

I have a 1972 CSL which was supplied new by Hughendons to its first owner, now looking slightly different.

[Olf]

samuri said:

I have a 1972 CSL which was supplied new by Hughendons to its first owner, now looking slightly different.

Lovely. Take me for a ride in it? Was it expensive when you bought it?

[samuri]

I bought it as a project about 12 years ago needing everything, floors, inner sills, outer sills, wheel arches, inner wing repairs, boot floor etc. Etc. So bought some Zaprace panels and made this.

[Olf]

You've done a grand job.

[samuri]

Thanks , but I can't take the credit, my friend who sadly now has parkinsons , modified and painted three Bmw's for me.

[lowdrag]

I used to buy my cars in the 80s from Cripps of Kibworth but I got a real shock some years later to see the son working in a pub. I wonder what went wrong?

[TWOKWACKS]

neutral 3 said:

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated! If anyone can put me in contact with any former Hughendon staff, that would be great !

Does anyone know if Anton ( Tony ) Hille is still with us ? He was Joint MD of BMW Concessionaires.

And yes, there were too many BMW dealers around and so many have folded, inc Cronks, First Front, Nick Van Der Steen ( who were only around for a couple of years it would seem ) Cheyne Motors of Chelsea Graham Horder was the owner, where are you now ??
Central ( Roy Salvadories garage ) Pennines ( who had 2 branches ) G. Eric Hunt and many more.

If anyone has info on any of the old BMW dealers, please let me know. Any info much appreciated.

Anton Hillie went onto have 2 dealerships of his own, Altwood in Slough and Maidenhead. I guess he sold them on around 1990 if memory serves me. I believe he is no longer with us though.

[anonymous-user]

a8hex said:

Not been there for 25 plus years. They were the main dealer in town. I used to work for Rapid Recall where half the cars seemed to be Beamers, so they were always about in the office.

Hah - I used to work at Rapid too around the early 90's. Red BMW 318iS

[a8hex]

garyhun said:

a8hex said:

Not been there for 25 plus years. They were the main dealer in town. I used to work for Rapid Recall where half the cars seemed to be Beamers, so they were always about in the office.

Hah - I used to work at Rapid too around the early 90's. Red BMW 318iS

I'd have left in 88 or thereabouts I guess, while they were still in the old building near the Rose & Crown, Mendy Street still seems to be there according to street view, but ends about where I think the office should have been :-) I tried to work out what the road was, but it's gone.