Old NW car dealers
Discussion
andicog said:
Remember Pollards Ford by Lark Lane, dad bought a brand new mk1 face lift Capri there in 73,
Blimey, I lived not far from there but I really don't remember a Ford dealer in that area - there was one in town and another in Speke. Davy's and Blakes are names I remember but can't exactly date them. I bought a new MkII Capri from the one in town in 1978. I promptly crashed it, and it was taken to the dealer in Speke who messed around, so I had it repaired at Glebe Garage in Widnes.As I remember Pollards was on Ullet Road,it became Cubbin and North and was then bought by the girls college and I think it's now a school playground. remember sitting in the Capri in the showroom, diamond white with red vinyl. £1400 brand new, 1600 xl. What about Livlock and Edwards Rover/Leyland dealer on coronation Rd in Crosby? (now Tesco) Or the other Leyland dealer on Bridge Rd near Blundel sands, was it Camerons? Ryders Ford in Crosby, first look at a mk2 Capri back in 74, its now a large charity shop. Trimoco peugeot showroom on coronation Road Crosby was initially Smith and gardener, Audi and NSU, remember looking at the RO80 in there, they then took on the Nissan franchise and had 260z's and the usual cherry's and 120y's. I can also remember a dealer by the shell station at the top of South Rd waterloo, brother bought a 6 month old 1974 BMW 520i from there, £3000! Also test drove a series 2 XJ6L and a 2002 Turbo.
Edited by andicog on Saturday 30th August 22:02
andicog said:
As I remember Pollards was on Ullet Road,it became Cubbin and North and was then bought by the girls college and I think it's now a school playground.
You're spot on with the history: http://www.bellerivefcj.org/bellerive-content.asp?...I do remember Cubbin & North, but not Pollards. How strange, we were always a Ford family too.
I was a South Liverpool boy, so don't know the North Liverpool garages you mentioned.
Wacky Racer mentions a couple of old dealers in Bury, and there are a couple on an earlier post, but I've not seen the Standard Triumph dealer mentioned yet.
W & R Roberts on Tottington Rd. Can't remember when they shut down (a good while back now) but a friend of mine served his time there.
W & R Roberts on Tottington Rd. Can't remember when they shut down (a good while back now) but a friend of mine served his time there.
daveenty said:
Wacky Racer mentions a couple of old dealers in Bury, and there are a couple on an earlier post, but I've not seen the Standard Triumph dealer mentioned yet.
W & R Roberts on Tottington Rd. Can't remember when they shut down (a good while back now) but a friend of mine served his time there.
(P & E? from memory) Finneys were on Manchester Road (the site was a Vet's the last time I passed by, several years ago); Renaults are now sold by Bury Motors at the M66 Junction on Rochdale Road.W & R Roberts on Tottington Rd. Can't remember when they shut down (a good while back now) but a friend of mine served his time there.
Quicks for Ford (?) were at the Eastern end of The Rock (next to the Vauxhall dealer whose name I can't recall
& 
), now they are at Bury Bridge (Bolton Rd/Crostons Rd junction).W & R Roberts on Totty Road were selling BL stuff in the '70s and early '80s (I can remember walking past the place every couple of months or so
on the way to Lex Cockshoot on Bell Lane to collect the family Marina which was having yet another n/s/f trunnion fitted, and asking my father why he didn't get the repair done there instead [we lived in Tottington - and why we didn't get the bus is ?
] ).I can also recall W & R Roberts holding the launch party for the Peugeot 309 in February '86, then they became part of BCC (flogging Citroens) by the early '90s...
I would have to drive past to see what the current status quo is with this place, it's not on any route I'd usually drive to get back to see family (what with living in Bolton nowadays!); funny how one's "stomping grounds" move around!
A few to remember, Rapport and Tounge in Rusholme I think was a Peugeot dealer, Knibbs who had VAG, Fiat and Citroen around Manchester area, Sale, Bury, Manchester etc They sold to Dean Smith, Lionel Smith on Ashton Old Road, VAG used to be Trust Motors.
Hewitts MG opposite the Hacienda in Manchester great place but got taken over by a dodgy fkr, Baur Millett
Not car but still had engines BJ West on Deansgate, Knott Mill Kawasaki just off City Road, White City Motorcycles, Threadgolds in Wythenshawe ( did push bikes but also did Puch mopeds and Sachs dealer)
Queens Park Motorcycles on the crescent in Salford
Couple of Spares shops Motorlands, Wythenshawe, Urmston, Sale and a few others, Robell Spares in Hazel Grove
Anyone remember the name of the Moto Guzzi dealer on Liverpool Road in Manchester ( nearly bought an 850 Le Mans from there)
Hewitts MG opposite the Hacienda in Manchester great place but got taken over by a dodgy fkr, Baur Millett
Not car but still had engines BJ West on Deansgate, Knott Mill Kawasaki just off City Road, White City Motorcycles, Threadgolds in Wythenshawe ( did push bikes but also did Puch mopeds and Sachs dealer)
Queens Park Motorcycles on the crescent in Salford
Couple of Spares shops Motorlands, Wythenshawe, Urmston, Sale and a few others, Robell Spares in Hazel Grove
Anyone remember the name of the Moto Guzzi dealer on Liverpool Road in Manchester ( nearly bought an 850 Le Mans from there)
aw51 121565 said:
(P & E? from memory) Finneys were on Manchester Road (the site was a Vet's the last time I passed by, several years ago); Renaults are now sold by Bury Motors at the M66 Junction on Rochdale Road.
I think it was indeed P & E Finney. Rootes Group dealers. Apparently the garage is still there at the back of the houses, and still a dealer, though no specific marque.aw51 121565 said:
Quicks for Ford (?) were at the Eastern end of The Rock (next to the Vauxhall dealer whose name I can't recall & ), now they are at Bury Bridge (Bolton Rd/Crostons Rd junction).
The showrooms were indeed on The Rock, though I seem to remember the parts and workshop being on Lord Street? The Vauxhall dealer was Auty & Lees. & ), now they are at Bury Bridge (Bolton Rd/Crostons Rd junction).aw51 121565 said:
W & R Roberts on Totty Road were selling BL stuff in the '70s and early '80s (I can remember walking past the place every couple of months or so on the way to Lex Cockshoot on Bell Lane to collect the family Marina which was having yet another n/s/f trunnion fitted, and asking my father why he didn't get the repair done there instead [we lived in Tottington - and why we didn't get the bus is ? ] ).
I can also recall W & R Roberts holding the launch party for the Peugeot 309 in February '86, then they became part of BCC (flogging Citroens) by the early '90s...
I would have to drive past to see what the current status quo is with this place, it's not on any route I'd usually drive to get back to see family (what with living in Bolton nowadays!); funny how one's "stomping grounds" move around!
It's very different. Can't remember exactly myself now, as it's changed so much there, but the paper mill (Olives) has gone and turned into houses, and the Oddfellows Arms is/was part of the Citroen place you mention. on the way to Lex Cockshoot on Bell Lane to collect the family Marina which was having yet another n/s/f trunnion fitted, and asking my father why he didn't get the repair done there instead [we lived in Tottington - and why we didn't get the bus is ? ] ).I can also recall W & R Roberts holding the launch party for the Peugeot 309 in February '86, then they became part of BCC (flogging Citroens) by the early '90s...
I would have to drive past to see what the current status quo is with this place, it's not on any route I'd usually drive to get back to see family (what with living in Bolton nowadays!); funny how one's "stomping grounds" move around!
More parts of my childhood disappearing
Sogra said:
Couple of Spares shops Motorlands, Wythenshawe, Urmston, Sale and a few others, Robell Spares in Hazel Grove
After quitting the spanners, I joined Motorland and did a few years round the various shops culminating in running the Wythenshawe branch. Moved to a Motorfactor not long after Motorworld took over.Yes Auty and Lees Vauxhall on the Rock in Bury were a great dealership.......had my first new company car from them in May 1988....a black Cavalier sri130 saloon. Sometime later I had a Capri 280 Brooklands (should have kept it) from Quicks next door however as a Ford dealership we found them relatively well below average.
Just come across this thread, my oh my what a jog down memory lane this has been !
Anyway, a few more for the bag.....
Milner and Marshall,Vauxhall, Southport.
Gosling and Morton Mitsubishi and later Peugeot, Southport. I remember their workshop on Portland Street (now RSM)catching fire in the 80s and the gas bottles exploding blowing off part of the roof ! Their showroom was half a mile away in Aughton Road.
Hattons Austin Rover and Jaguar, Roe Lane Southport. Site later occupied by AFG Nissan and later still Duerdens Vauxhall.
Duerdens Vauxhall/Ford has now closed in Southport ( 3 weeks ago ).
John MacIver Austin Rover, across the road from Duerdens ( now Michael Pierce ), later bought out by Dixons ( Rover), then became Dixon Motor Holdings (Rover), then became Southport Rover. Building was then occupied by Gil Smith Mazda, replacing another short lived Mazda dealer in Fylde Road, W.J.Burnley. Gil Smith was also the owner of Tannery Farm Garage, in St Helens.
Holland Motors Ford in Virginia Street Southport, later became Jennings Ford, then M&S Ford.
McCains of Birkdale, Aughton Rd, British Leyland, owned by Ginger McCain, Red Rum's stables was at the rear of the premises, later becoming Hyundai after a change of ownership. Showroom still trading under the same name although not a dealer franchise.
Birkdale Garage, Nissan/Datsun.
John Goulder Renault, Birkdale.
Greenfens Citroen Ainsdale, and Cubleys Saab,now ChapelHouse.
Woodwards of Formby, Austin Rover ( my 1st job ! brilliant place to work that was )
Altcar Autos Formby, Fiat.
Chapman and Mawdsley, still trading but no longer a Suzuki main agent.
RS Lightfoot Long Lane Aintree and Runcorn, Austin Rover. Bought out by Currie Motors (nice people to do business with ! as their slogan stated but absolute pains to work for!)
Currie Motors also acquired Tamar in Leigh ( Austin Rover ) and their sister depot in Upper Brook Street Manchester. Currie Motors Group North West* went pop in 1989. (* separate company. Currie Motors are still trading in London and the US )
Balmforths Austin Rover in Ormskirk.
Camerons Renault in Ormskirk.
Camerons of Formby, Austin Rover.
Hen and Chickens Garage, Melling, Austin Rover.
Hawthorne Motor Engineering Co, Collins Green, Nr Warrington, Austin Rover. ( Now a rest home! )
Charles Clark, Kensington, Liverpool, Austin Rover.
Charles Clark, Huyton, Austin Rover.
Harry James Renault, Edge Lane, Liverpool.
Brook Bridge Garage, Prescot, Ford.
Dutton James, Windle Island, St Helens, Renault.
I'm sure theres loads more but my brain cells aint what they used to be !
Anyway, a few more for the bag.....
Milner and Marshall,Vauxhall, Southport.
Gosling and Morton Mitsubishi and later Peugeot, Southport. I remember their workshop on Portland Street (now RSM)catching fire in the 80s and the gas bottles exploding blowing off part of the roof ! Their showroom was half a mile away in Aughton Road.
Hattons Austin Rover and Jaguar, Roe Lane Southport. Site later occupied by AFG Nissan and later still Duerdens Vauxhall.
Duerdens Vauxhall/Ford has now closed in Southport ( 3 weeks ago ).
John MacIver Austin Rover, across the road from Duerdens ( now Michael Pierce ), later bought out by Dixons ( Rover), then became Dixon Motor Holdings (Rover), then became Southport Rover. Building was then occupied by Gil Smith Mazda, replacing another short lived Mazda dealer in Fylde Road, W.J.Burnley. Gil Smith was also the owner of Tannery Farm Garage, in St Helens.
Holland Motors Ford in Virginia Street Southport, later became Jennings Ford, then M&S Ford.
McCains of Birkdale, Aughton Rd, British Leyland, owned by Ginger McCain, Red Rum's stables was at the rear of the premises, later becoming Hyundai after a change of ownership. Showroom still trading under the same name although not a dealer franchise.
Birkdale Garage, Nissan/Datsun.
John Goulder Renault, Birkdale.
Greenfens Citroen Ainsdale, and Cubleys Saab,now ChapelHouse.
Woodwards of Formby, Austin Rover ( my 1st job ! brilliant place to work that was )
Altcar Autos Formby, Fiat.
Chapman and Mawdsley, still trading but no longer a Suzuki main agent.
RS Lightfoot Long Lane Aintree and Runcorn, Austin Rover. Bought out by Currie Motors (nice people to do business with ! as their slogan stated but absolute pains to work for!)
Currie Motors also acquired Tamar in Leigh ( Austin Rover ) and their sister depot in Upper Brook Street Manchester. Currie Motors Group North West* went pop in 1989. (* separate company. Currie Motors are still trading in London and the US )
Balmforths Austin Rover in Ormskirk.
Camerons Renault in Ormskirk.
Camerons of Formby, Austin Rover.
Hen and Chickens Garage, Melling, Austin Rover.
Hawthorne Motor Engineering Co, Collins Green, Nr Warrington, Austin Rover. ( Now a rest home! )
Charles Clark, Kensington, Liverpool, Austin Rover.
Charles Clark, Huyton, Austin Rover.
Harry James Renault, Edge Lane, Liverpool.
Brook Bridge Garage, Prescot, Ford.
Dutton James, Windle Island, St Helens, Renault.
I'm sure theres loads more but my brain cells aint what they used to be !
Edited by bvetmd on Wednesday 12th November 18:09
currie motors were actually a very interesting story... well i think so anyway. They were huge in america, and owned by the Jaffes, a very wealthy south african family. They pulled out of the UK on a snap decision IIRC, i think someone pissed one of them off and that was it. My Dad visited the MD's family house somewhere in Surrey in the mid 80s and it was apparently vast and incredibly lavish even for the gaudy excess of the period. At some point during casual conversation he was told that it was worth £7M (not sure why i remember all of this), which is around £20M now. Definitely not insignificant. There were many stories of the boss man's eccentricities and 'directness' but i can't remember details!
Yep, remember the Jaffe's coming up to Aintree on the odd occasion to inspect their 'Northern' empire. The thing is, around the time, they had a virtual monoploy of Ford dealerships in and around the West and South London areas, sorta cornered the market so to speak.
Having acquired the four Austin Rover Dealerships up here ( Aintree, Runcorn, Leigh and Manchester ) they tried to do the same in the North West, but reckoned without the strong competition from all the other dealers around at the time. Plus the fact that their 'hard selling approach' didnt exactly go down too well with the average buyer of Austin Rover vehicles at the time, many being your stereotypical 'old boy lets buy British brigade', who were far more at home buying a vehicle from their local small dealership, ie, your Hepburns and Livock and Edwards sort of set up, who they had bought their last 10 or more cars from over the years.
One funny story I do remember from my time at Aintree was when a colleague who shall remain nameless was putting the gas powered fork lift truck to bed one evening. It was a very cold day and I seem to remember you had to close the valve on the gas bottle and rev the guts out of the engine to drain the gas out of the system to stop something ( that was obviously knackered ) freezing up overnight, otherwise it was a real pig to start next day. Anyway, on revving the guts out of the engine he accidently knocked it into reverse and went off like greased lightning, smashing through a load of racking and demolishing the false wall between the parts department and the Lange Rover showroom, damaging a brand new Range Rover in the process. I can still see his face now.....!!!!
Having acquired the four Austin Rover Dealerships up here ( Aintree, Runcorn, Leigh and Manchester ) they tried to do the same in the North West, but reckoned without the strong competition from all the other dealers around at the time. Plus the fact that their 'hard selling approach' didnt exactly go down too well with the average buyer of Austin Rover vehicles at the time, many being your stereotypical 'old boy lets buy British brigade', who were far more at home buying a vehicle from their local small dealership, ie, your Hepburns and Livock and Edwards sort of set up, who they had bought their last 10 or more cars from over the years.
One funny story I do remember from my time at Aintree was when a colleague who shall remain nameless was putting the gas powered fork lift truck to bed one evening. It was a very cold day and I seem to remember you had to close the valve on the gas bottle and rev the guts out of the engine to drain the gas out of the system to stop something ( that was obviously knackered ) freezing up overnight, otherwise it was a real pig to start next day. Anyway, on revving the guts out of the engine he accidently knocked it into reverse and went off like greased lightning, smashing through a load of racking and demolishing the false wall between the parts department and the Lange Rover showroom, damaging a brand new Range Rover in the process. I can still see his face now.....!!!!
Edited by bvetmd on Wednesday 12th November 17:33
Bodie390 said:
Does anyone remember an old Vauxhall (I think!) dealer that was located in Denton Manchester which is now Junction 24 of the M60.
I remember playing in the disused showroom in the late 70's.
Called Kirby's. http://www.pittdixon.go-plus.net/denton-rip/kirbys...I remember playing in the disused showroom in the late 70's.
Moved up the road towards Hyde I believe, and changed to selling Skoda's (presumably before they were rebadged VW's)
Deva Link said:
Well, OK, but the thread's about the old names. Pinching a list from an early post:
Drabble and Allen...Jaguar/Manchester
..
Lockwood & Greenwood....Rover/Audenshaw
Hollingdrakes....Stockport
Holindrakes split their dealerships up (Land Rover went to St.Mary's way, and Jaguar went to Wellington Road) then got renamed when they were taken over by Stratstone Group. Land Rover called Guy Salmon, and can't remember what the Jag dealer became. Drabble and Allen...Jaguar/Manchester
..
Lockwood & Greenwood....Rover/Audenshaw
Hollingdrakes....Stockport
The Land Rover place is still on St. Mary's way, but the Jag place moved further down the road to the old Jeep dealer building. They are about to move back together in a brand new building just off the round about at Portwood.
Lockwood and Greenwood are still in business, but only as a general used car place now - they have just a small show room, and no/very little service provision. What used to be their second hand showroom, and workshops has been a housing estate for quite some time now.
Drabble and Allen was one of 3 dealerships - Jag/Daimler at Manchester, along with various other makes during the BL years, Land Rover, Subaru and Isuzu at one point too. They also had a Land Rover place in Knutsford, and an Austin Rover place in Hale/Altrincham. They were part of the Grahams Brothers Group, which also had a few other dealerships about the Manchester area, including the Vauxhall dealer in Ashton under lyne. Grahams Group got bought out by Swan National, who then in turn got taken over by Lex Service. At this point there was only the Jaguar dealer in Manchester and the Land Rover Dealer in Knutsford that retained the Drabble and Allen name, everything else was rebranded Lex.
When Lex finally called it a day, the Drabble and Allen dealers were taken on by Stratstone, and renamed. If you search the web for Drabble and Allen, it will direct you to the Stratstone Manchester Jaguar page. The building that they used to be in, got demolished, except for the frontage, which was listed, and flats and retail units built behind it.
The Knutsford Land Rover dealership was renamed Guy Salmon, in line with the rest of their Land Rover dealers.
AndyNetwork said:
Holindrakes split their dealerships up (Land Rover went to St.Mary's way, and Jaguar went to Wellington Road) then got renamed when they were taken over by Stratstone Group. Land Rover called Guy Salmon, and can't remember what the Jag dealer became.
The Land Rover place is still on St. Mary's way, but the Jag place moved further down the road to the old Jeep dealer building. They are about to move back together in a brand new building just off the round about at Portwood.
Lockwood and Greenwood are still in business, but only as a general used car place now - they have just a small show room, and no/very little service provision. What used to be their second hand showroom, and workshops has been a housing estate for quite some time now.
Drabble and Allen was one of 3 dealerships - Jag/Daimler at Manchester, along with various other makes during the BL years, Land Rover, Subaru and Isuzu at one point too. They also had a Land Rover place in Knutsford, and an Austin Rover place in Hale/Altrincham. They were part of the Grahams Brothers Group, which also had a few other dealerships about the Manchester area, including the Vauxhall dealer in Ashton under lyne. Grahams Group got bought out by Swan National, who then in turn got taken over by Lex Service. At this point there was only the Jaguar dealer in Manchester and the Land Rover Dealer in Knutsford that retained the Drabble and Allen name, everything else was rebranded Lex.
When Lex finally called it a day, the Drabble and Allen dealers were taken on by Stratstone, and renamed. If you search the web for Drabble and Allen, it will direct you to the Stratstone Manchester Jaguar page. The building that they used to be in, got demolished, except for the frontage, which was listed, and flats and retail units built behind it.
The Knutsford Land Rover dealership was renamed Guy Salmon, in line with the rest of their Land Rover dealers.
The LR dealership in Knutsford was Ron Stratton inbetween being Drabble and Allen and Stratstone, then Guy Salmon, iirc.The Land Rover place is still on St. Mary's way, but the Jag place moved further down the road to the old Jeep dealer building. They are about to move back together in a brand new building just off the round about at Portwood.
Lockwood and Greenwood are still in business, but only as a general used car place now - they have just a small show room, and no/very little service provision. What used to be their second hand showroom, and workshops has been a housing estate for quite some time now.
Drabble and Allen was one of 3 dealerships - Jag/Daimler at Manchester, along with various other makes during the BL years, Land Rover, Subaru and Isuzu at one point too. They also had a Land Rover place in Knutsford, and an Austin Rover place in Hale/Altrincham. They were part of the Grahams Brothers Group, which also had a few other dealerships about the Manchester area, including the Vauxhall dealer in Ashton under lyne. Grahams Group got bought out by Swan National, who then in turn got taken over by Lex Service. At this point there was only the Jaguar dealer in Manchester and the Land Rover Dealer in Knutsford that retained the Drabble and Allen name, everything else was rebranded Lex.
When Lex finally called it a day, the Drabble and Allen dealers were taken on by Stratstone, and renamed. If you search the web for Drabble and Allen, it will direct you to the Stratstone Manchester Jaguar page. The building that they used to be in, got demolished, except for the frontage, which was listed, and flats and retail units built behind it.
The Knutsford Land Rover dealership was renamed Guy Salmon, in line with the rest of their Land Rover dealers.
AndyNetwork said:
Bodie390 said:
Does anyone remember an old Vauxhall (I think!) dealer that was located in Denton Manchester which is now Junction 24 of the M60.
I remember playing in the disused showroom in the late 70's.
Called Kirby's. http://www.pittdixon.go-plus.net/denton-rip/kirbys...I remember playing in the disused showroom in the late 70's.
Moved up the road towards Hyde I believe, and changed to selling Skoda's (presumably before they were rebadged VW's)
Had my Vauxhall Victor serviced there in 1970........
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