Motor traders of yester year.

[Swede123]

Being of a certain age, mid 60s now, I remember some fantastic dealers/traders that I bought cars off or went to regarding a job.
Bill Nicholson in Northampton for an MGB.
Gerry Marshall in Fortune Temple for a Jenson Healey.
Dan Marguiles who bought my Integrale.
John Gott who came and spoke to us at school.
Gerry Porter who told me that I'd never earn with him what Jaguar was prepared to pay me to run a showroom in London.
Frank Lazenby in Leicester who taught me to trade.

There were others, my dad was a trader. Through him I saw Ringo Starr's Facel Vega, rode in Dave Bennie's real GT40, Bill Tompkin's Superfast, it goes on.

I lived in South Kensington in 1980-1995 and saw every world super car from the start of motoring history.

[Swede123]

I also worked in BMW Park Lane in the mid 70s and many of our trade buyers were based in Warren Street. Is there still a motor trader there ?

[lowdrag]

I must search out the photo of Gerry Marshall racing the Alvis Grey Lady at Goodwood. Such a character!

[threespires]

Here you go Lowdrag - Sadly not on the track

Edited by threespires on Friday 19th February 09:20

[OLDBENZ]

Swede123 said:

I also worked in BMW Park Lane in the mid 70s and many of our trade buyers were based in Warren Street. Is there still a motor trader there ?

I think its long gone now. After university I lived in Warren Street next to the pub - Smugglers Tavern - from 1986 - 1988 and street car traders were already nearly extinct.

[OLDBENZ]

Swede123 said:

I also worked in BMW Park Lane in the mid 70s and many of our trade buyers were based in Warren Street. Is there still a motor trader there ?

I think its long gone now. After university I lived in Warren Street next to the pub - Smugglers Tavern - from 1986 - 1988 and street car traders were already nearly extinct.

[threespires]

Scanned from TV

[neutral 3]

I'm sure G and M Alfred's ( 1936 ) were based in Warren St in the early / mid 80s ?

[neutral 3]

Van Der Steen sponsored Tony Llanfranchis 3.0CSi for 1974, but ceased trading soon after.

[neutral 3]

Pennine were also BMW Distributors for Yorkshire, any one tell me more about them ?

[neutral 3]

Lumo were one of several who built some quick 3 Litre Capris.

[neutral 3]

Cheyne was run by Graham Horder and another guy who's plane is in the photo with their Demo CSL.

Anyone know were Graham is now ?

[Lowtimer]

I remember Lumo turbocharging the original Mark I Fiesta XR2, the four-speeder with the crossflow engine and round headlights. I really really liked those as a kid, and the Lumo 105T (as they called it) was the subject of much fantasy man-maths as a 20 year old.

[The Don of Croy]

Lowtimer said:

I remember Lumo turbocharging the original Mark I Fiesta XR2, the four-speeder with the crossflow engine and round headlights. I really really liked those as a kid, and the Lumo 105T (as they called it) was the subject of much fantasy man-maths as a 20 year old.

The Stormont Ford dealer in Tonbridge used to sell a 'Pacer' XR2 turbo in the early 1980's. At the time I was very much taken by the more mundane 1.3 Supersport version.

Will this thread offer pics of old garages?

[droopsnoot]

I remember some of the old Marshall-Wingfield ads used to contain humorous reports the racing results from the previous week. For example - PS: Owing to the recent unfortunate Grand Prix accident we have decided to release Jean_Pierre Aux from his contract. However we have replaced him with Mick Leary who will now be backing Jock up in our No 2 Mazda. We wish Jean-Pierre "Bon Voyage" and will long remember his "Garlic laden breath" steaming up the showroom windows.

[lowdrag]

As regards racing, I remember well the old bar at the entrance to the paddock at Le Mans, where all the drivers used to mix with us "ordinary" people, as they did in the day. I treasure this photo I took of Whizzo in 2004.



As regards garages etc., I remember so well the Eldridge Brothers in Portsmouth, bike dealers. Not agents, but they had a collection of NOS of all types and makes, from a 1955 Dragonfly through a 1958 350 Triumph and goodness knows what else, all for sale at the original sticker price, and this in 1963. Somehow they took a shine to me, and one day I was shown the cellar and the stock. I thought it a heap of rubbish at the time, being into Bonnevilles, but there in all its glory was a brand new unregistered 1928 KTT Velocette. Oh the folly of youth!

[Rangeroverover]

neutral 3 said:

Van Der Steen sponsored Tony Llanfranchis 3.0CSi for 1974, but ceased trading soon after.

Nick Van Der Steen was the boss in the late 70's when I used to take my car to the BMW park lane service centre in Vauxhall if I remember right. He gave me a lift in an M1 that was fairly memorable.

I also remember all the dealers around Lancaster Mews as I grew up round the corner

[neutral 3]

Range Rover that's interesting ! Wonder if he is still around ? Would love to talk to him re selling BMWs in the 70s.

[ClaphamGT3]

Remember that there used to be a massive classic car dealership in Leytonstone in the 70s and 80s but I can't remember the name.

Also, Victoria St Motors, the Maserati dealership in Diss, Norfolk in the 80s

[FailHere]

I remember one of the advertisers in Motorsport (Portobello Road Motors?) used to have amusing adverts including advertising that they held the largest supply of spare parts for a completely fictional make of car and references to the motoring adventures of a 2cv driving Rabbi