Old NW car dealers

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Anybody remember any names from the past?

I was giving my Dad a lift getting some stuff out of their garage when i found a box with old bits of pottery and glassware in, wrapped in newspaper. Some of the paper was dated as far back as 1988, and there were sections of the car dealer pages. I saw a big ad for Ian Skelly VW - branches across the North West.

Anybody remember any other old names??

Beech Hill was quite a big name in Wigan and St Helens - with a Nissan and i think Renault dealer in each.

I also remember Broughtons Peugeot and Talbot in St Helens from being little.

There have been a few that have gone over the past 2 or 3 years too - likes of Ciceley Continental in Preston, there but not really as that any more, plus others like Dutton James Renault in St Helens too.

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I also remember Skippers Ford in St Helens.

Caledonia was a big name of the late 90s/early 00's too - but i dont miss them with their constant maildrops!!

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I've just been thinking of more in the bath! (i know i know!!)

Firsway Peugeot, Wigan (now Richard Rhodes)
HL Gorner Mercedes, Ashton in Makerfield - then Gorner TVR/Brabus (how priveliged to have the UK's only Brabus dealer about 3 miles from my house!!)
Makerfield Daihatsu (saw a wheel cover on a Fourtrak the other week with this on)
Jaguar House, Liverpool
Road Range, Liverpool
Gorner Skoda, Warrington - went bust
Savoy Honda, Wigan and Warrington
HW Moon - but at the original HW Moon Toyota place in Heskin, nr Chorley
Grahams Vauxhall, Wigan
DJ Motors, St Helens - 'old' Skoda, Sao, Perodua etc etc
Cubleys of Ainsdale - Saab and Alfa i think
Southport 2000 - Think it was Renault, then Peugeot - not sure what it is now
Rigby Turner VW St Helens - Murdered by VW UK when they found out they'd been selling imported cars out of the back door apparently
MS Ford Wigan, then MSF Wigan, the Gordons - as per what it was originally
St Helens Ford - very big round my way 5 yrs back - now one of the many Polar Ford places
A&B Motors Wigan (Vauxhall i think?)
Bramwell Hyundai and Mazda, Wigan

Remember when VW garages sold Audi too??

Sorry for all the local to me references!!

Does anyone know if Stan Palmer Ford/Subaru are still around in Carlisle?

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Wacky Racer said:

^^^^

Bought a new Ford Capri Mk 2 from Skippers in Burnley in 1977.....

also new Triumph Spitfire from Henley's Burnage, Manchester in 1973

Let's see......

Drabble and Allen...Jaguar/Manchester
Cliff Holden...Jaguar/Bury
Lockwood & Greenwood....Rover/Audenshaw
Hollingdrakes....Stockport
Henleys....Oldham & Victoria Avenue Middleton
Gordon Ford....Stockport
Quicks....Ford....Bury, Old Trafford, Ashton
Ian Anthony....Wilmslow

Whatever happened to Quicks? They used to be massive!

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Bellcharm - was that the Renault place in Bolton?? I think it's still there but heavily boarded up and vandalised and replaced by the Renault Direct Retail place near the Porsche garage.

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More:

Intermoto, Subaru - Liverpool

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There are all the old names associated with Peugeot and Robins & Day - i.e.:

- Glanden Motors, Preston
- Birtwistle, Nortwich
- Tom Garner Motors, Manchester (noticed that had gone the other day!!)

I also remember when MTB Jeep used to be a SEAT dealer, and when Bauer Millet were at their old place on Peter Street.

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M58 Ford too, in Skelmersdale.

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Also, not a franchise, but does anyone remember Fast Lane Sports cars in Standish?

The 2 owners went their separate ways, one to become Ron Hodgson Specialist Cars, on the other side of Wigan and now at Up Holland; whilst the other moved to Bolton and became Warrender, then relocated to Blackburn, eventually going under and relaunching as SP Motorsport i think, before moving back to Langtree Garage where FLSC were in Standish, and setting up Wicked Kit, again before going under. Not seen much of them for a couple of years since going under.

Also, another local name were Dimma, at Weaverham; now Adamsons Sports and Performance.

Anyone remember when Aidan Piers were quite big too??

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Also near Blackrod - Deeway Sports Cars.

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I think Aidan Piers are still going - but in a very very small capacity.

I saw a car for sale with them on Auto trader, around this time last year.

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And he does so very well.

I went to Ron's place yesterday looking at a Vectra VXR but he was close (on a sunday!!!)

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SGL was quite a big name too.

Station Garage Leyland - i think it stood for. The one in Chorley was a big Rover franchise when Rover went under. I think it's a motorhome place now.

AFG - anybody remember them too?? My mate had an old E reg Polo until not long ago that had an AFG Motors sticker in the window.

Another name in the NW in the late 90's/early 00's was Virgin Cars at Salford - the big place that has been every type of car supermarket going! That was quite an experience there - soo many new cars under one roof!! You could easily get a sit in some exotica (ish!) there. I remember going drooling over a Clio V6 as an 18 yr old oik, and when spotted by the salesman, immediately jumped into the Toyota Yaris parked next to it to which he didn't seem as worried about!

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They're probably now known as Wilson and Co - the Vauxhall/Saab/Chevy dealer in Bolton.

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Yeah, seem to remember they were Nissan.

Another Yorkshire car dealer from the past - Dixon Group! That was a shock when they went under!

A bizarre fact re this post - Drabble and Allen are on Companies House, as being set up as two different companies - one established in 1920, the other 1937. One lasted until 1991, the other 1994. The odd thing is though - they were previously known as 'Wigan Motor Company'!.

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Another name - Mead of Bolton, Jag main dealer.

Another dealer was IGW in Bolton, Subaru and Mitsubishi - and i think for a short spell, Mercedes too. They were a big dealership - not sure what happened there.

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Speaking of Preston - does anyone remember the Bond bug place?

I'm not old enough too - but a chap i used to work with lived right near.

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Warbbby said:

Yes I remember. Caught the bus from the bus station to Longridge which went down Ribbleton Lane and you could look down into the yard full of body shells from the top floor of the bus.

Fascinating the amount of car production that used to take place in the North West. Saying that, we've got Jag, Land Rover and Vauxhall now, as well as Bentley.

Lancs used to be big though with Bond, TVR and BL.

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I'm only 26 and remember Kennings - well remember seeing stickers in cars when younger.

Anyone remember Kings Cars near the Greyhound roundabout in Leigh?? They closed a few years ago but had been there years - initially as a VW dealer, then moved to imports, then to used prestige specialists.

Edited by sider on Wednesday 11th March 20:21

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There's actually a garage in Widnes, on Ditton Road i think it is, between Widnes and Halewood, very run down - and it's got a really old Peugeot Talbot sign hanging off one elevation.

I think theres traces of Yugo there too.

I once stopped to have a nosey but there was an alsatian prowling - i think the former garage owner lives in the house next door.