Old NW car dealers

[sider]

mercfunder said:

Pistonho said:

As a young lad just passed his driving test in the early 80's. I used stand outside the Ferrari dealership on Peter Street in Manchester city Centre - can't remember the name of it, but remember seeing 308's inside the showroom.

My dad also bought his Audi's at Peter Street Motors (Audi Dealer) on Liverpool Street in Salford.

Ferrari dealers was Sutton, owned by the haulage company in St Helens.
The hours I spent stood outside Bauer Millet on Peter Street dreaming of the cars he had in there.

I know Suttons of St Helens well as live quite local.

So they had a Ferrari dealership? Bit of an odd move but each to their own!

[mercfunder]

sider said:

mercfunder said:

Pistonho said:

As a young lad just passed his driving test in the early 80's. I used stand outside the Ferrari dealership on Peter Street in Manchester city Centre - can't remember the name of it, but remember seeing 308's inside the showroom.

My dad also bought his Audi's at Peter Street Motors (Audi Dealer) on Liverpool Street in Salford.

Ferrari dealers was Sutton, owned by the haulage company in St Helens.
The hours I spent stood outside Bauer Millet on Peter Street dreaming of the cars he had in there.

I know Suttons of St Helens well as live quite local.

So they had a Ferrari dealership? Bit of an odd move but each to their own!

Suttons had a couple of car dealerships, one on Lord street in Southport as well if I remeber correctly.
Doesn't seem to fit with the haulage side of the business, but suppose it all fitted together under a group banner.
Bowker BMW is owned by the Bowker Group, who are also hauliers.

Edited by mercfunder on Wednesday 27th January 15:06

[Hybrids]

A few from round Stockport from my youth

Lookers Austin Rover (Heaton Moor Rd)
Culvers (?) Toyota (Balmoral Rd)Heaton Moor
Hilltop Datsun/Nissan Lancashire Hill
Renault dealer a little further down Lancashire Hill
Dean Smith Volvo Wellington rd South (they also had the Jeep & Daihatsu franchise in Hyde IIRC)
Subaru Dealer on the corner of Lingard lane Bredbury
Stockport Motor House Austin Rover
Heron Jaguar Edward St (now Lambo Manchester)
Heron Austin Rover (facing Dean Smith)
Opel dealer facing Mile End School (demolished around 1980)
Chapel House Vauxhall (now Kings Jeep)
Horns Vauxhall (on the A6 where Grand Central is)
Skoda dealer Great Moor, just near Mile End school
Mayfair Proton Great Moor
Andersons Saab Hazel Grove
HE Madders Peugeot Cheadle Hulme

edited to add
Knibbs Fiats Heaton Lane Stockport

Edited by Hybrids on Sunday 7th February 07:47

[ginettajoe]

Hybrids said:

A few from round Stockport from my youth

Lookers Austin Rover (Heaton Moor Rd)
Culvers (?) Toyota (Balmoral Rd)Heaton Moor
Hilltop Datsun/Nissan Lancashire Hill
Renault dealer a little further down Lancashire Hill
Dean Smith Volvo Wellington rd South (they also had the Jeep & Daihatsu franchise in Hyde IIRC)
Subaru Dealer on the corner of Lingard lane Bredbury
Stockport Motor House Austin Rover
Heron Jaguar Edward St (now Lambo Manchester)
Heron Austin Rover (facing Dean Smith)
Opel dealer facing Mile End School (demolished around 1980)
Chapel House Vauxhall (now Kings Jeep)
Horns Vauxhall (on the A6 where Grand Central is)
Skoda dealer Great Moor, just near Mile End school
Mayfair Proton Great Moor
Andersons Saab Hazel Grove
HE Madders Peugeot Cheadle Hulme

....... and Hammonds in Handforth, Triumph dealer!! It is just a workshop now, run by the son of Hammonds apprentice mechanic.

[Hybrids]

ginettajoe said:

Hybrids said:

A few from round Stockport from my youth
Stuff

....... and Hammonds in Handforth, Triumph dealer!! It is just a workshop now, run by the son of Hammonds apprentice mechanic.

I remember a really nice bloke who ran the 1275GT centre.....

[sider]

I noticed today one dealer that has gone that has been around years - Foxfield in Wigan.

They were based in Shevvy originally selling Rover, but them moved to Martland Park and took on Fiat. When Rover went under, they took on Hyundai and to some extent Isuzu, as well as Mitsubishi, but that side never took off. Fiat seemed to carry on OK though.

I called today to see if the number was out of use and it's not - turns out they were acquired by Honda in 2009, who've run the Fiat side into the ground and now Honda have a modern dealership rather than the one on Wallgate. Foxfield is officially gone.

Shocked, as i thought now would be a good time for Fiat dealers - not good, but certainly better than the past few yrs - perhaps busy late 90s with the Punto and Bravo/Brava, then a quiet dull start to the new millenium - but of late, the Grande Punto seems popular, as does the 500.



Also, noticed that Hartwell Land Rover St Helens, that changed to James Edwards Ltd, is now a self-drive company.

Must be why Williams have opened a Landy place in Liverpool then. Nearest place after that is either Manchester-way, Guy Salmon in Knutsford or James Edwards in Chester.

[E31Shrew]

See Kinders in Preston mentioned a couple of times. Bought a 325 Touring from there in 1989 as brother in law used to be a sales bod there. Is the SAAB dealership on the A59 at Samlesbury still going?

[ginettajoe]

Hybrids said:

ginettajoe said:

Hybrids said:

A few from round Stockport from my youth
Stuff

....... and Hammonds in Handforth, Triumph dealer!! It is just a workshop now, run by the son of Hammonds apprentice mechanic.

I remember a really nice bloke who ran the 1275GT centre.....

.......... :scratchin: now that's got me thinking!!

[sider]

E31Shrew said:

See Kinders in Preston mentioned a couple of times. Bought a 325 Touring from there in 1989 as brother in law used to be a sales bod there. Is the SAAB dealership on the A59 at Samlesbury still going?

The garage is there - but last time i passed, they have more Ssangyoungs and Chinese Rovers there than Saabs.

Called Bay Horse.

Edited by sider on Sunday 7th February 11:25

[Drew2]

Hi Sider, your statement below re: Rigby Turner VW being 'murdered' by VW UK for selling imported vehicles is incorrect. VW UK at the time re-organised their market areas with many franchise partners swapping and changing territories - Rigby Turner simply found themselves with no catchment area to represent. There was certainly no misdemeanour on their part. A number of long standing dealer partners found themselves without the VW badge above the door - Barbers, Hartwell etc.

[sider]

Apologies for the incorrect info - was just something I heard. Did you work there or something Drew?

Drew2 said:

Hi Sider, your statement below re: Rigby Turner VW being 'murdered' by VW UK for selling imported vehicles is incorrect. VW UK at the time re-organised their market areas with many franchise partners swapping and changing territories - Rigby Turner simply found themselves with no catchment area to represent. There was certainly no misdemeanour on their part. A number of long standing dealer partners found themselves without the VW badge above the door - Barbers, Hartwell etc.

[podwin]

I've been looking at Jeeps today and it seems MTB no longer sell cars.

The website says "parts and service only".

Anyone around the Warrington know why this is?

[Deva Link]

podwin said:

I've been looking at Jeeps today and it seems MTB no longer sell cars.

The website says "parts and service only".

Anyone around the Warrington know why this is?

Don't know about Warrington, but MTB Chester became Chester SEAT around the turn of the year.

[plasticpig]

podwin said:

I've been looking at Jeeps today and it seems MTB no longer sell cars.

The website says "parts and service only".

Anyone around the Warrington know why this is?

It's not just Warrington a lot of the Jeep dealers around the country have gone like this. Jeep sales fell by 32% in 2008 and 38% in 2009. The size of the dealer network was not sustainable so many sales outlets have closed down. Servicing is still a viable proposition.

[podwin]

I see.

I found their current website (http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/163560/) and it appears they no longer sell new at all, in Warrington.

Shame, I wanted to look at a Jeep

[plasticpig]

I would guess Stockport is the nearest one now.

[sider]

I thought there was a Jeep place in Warrington behind the Vauxhall garage?

MTB closed at Newton le Willows, about 18 mths back, it's now a 2nd hand place called 'Prestige Motors'.

[sider]

Of course you're right

http://mtb.chrysler.co.uk/warrington/index.aspx

BUT, take this with a pinch of salt!

I used to do a bit of work with a SEAT dealer who did Renault 'parts and service only' too - and at the time, a Clio 172 was classed on the ordering system as a 'part' and as such they could order and register it on the road for anyone interested.

Also, a local Kia dealer used to sell Toyota and now does 'parts and service only' but can get a good price on any new Toyota model - hence why his used sales pitch has a 80% toyota 20% kia split with pre-reg'd cars everywhere, at good discounts.

Apparently the likes of Seat UK and Kia UK would be very unhappy about the goings-on above - but i say every man for himself.

On that note, if you're looking for a new Jeep, i'd have a quiet word with a man at MTB!

After all, this can't be that old a pic
http://mtb.jeep.co.uk/warrington/contact.aspx

Edited by sider on Saturday 20th February 22:59

[sider]

Nipped to Southport yesterday and got me thinking of another old name - one thats probably been discussed on this thread - but still!

"Reynolds - The Power behind the wheel" - remember them?

They used to have a few tankers on the road too - not sure if they did bulk fuel deliveries or whether it was just petrol to their own stations.

Just done a google and apparently they were AE Reynolds Plc.

Edited by sider on Sunday 13th June 07:38

[sider]

Sorry ignore that last post - just checked and it was me that put a similar post up in March 2009!

Have tried to delete but it won't let me!