Old NW car dealers

[DSLiverpool]

I was friendly with Tony Reynolds of Reynolds Honda etc and the petrol stations and he bought a Wirral hotel - he had a rally / safari equipped Patrol I really fancied,
Sadly he died very young about 15 years ago and his widow sold everything off.
He built his empire from an inherited petrol station.

Also I bought a new XR2 in 1982 from Blakes in Hardman street.

I lusted after a yellow Ford Falcon GT in Ian Skelly edge lane

Bought a Scirocco GTi Turbo Technics from Ian Skelly in 1984 one of the first aftermarket conversions.

[J4CKO]

Wacky Racer said:

Some more:-

Bought a new Triumph Spitfire Mk 4 from Henlys in Burnage in 1973.

Sports Motors...Plymouth Grove M/C

Boston Motor Company...Hyde

Ian Anthony Knutsford & Wilmslow

Hollindrakes Hyde & Stockport

Gordon Ford Stockport (Bought a new Ford Capri there in 1978)

Fred Fearnley...Droylsden

Quicks...Old Trafford

Manchester Garages (Ford) Manchester

Drabble & Allen...Manchester...(Jaguar)

Cowies...Blackburn...(Bought a new Ford Capri there in 1976)

Tom Gardner...Deansgate M/C

Skippers...Burnley...(Bought a new Ford Capri there in 1977)

Quicks...Bury (Bought a new Ford Capri there in 1979)

Finneys...Bury

Val Morton (American cars)....Ashton u Lyne

Kennings...Glossop

Premier Motors... Mossley

Bauer Millett...Peter Street...M/C

Blakes (Vauxhall)...M/C

I have the tax disk holder from my dads Mk1 Capri from Sports Motors !

[Jukebag]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but another is Rogerson's Motorcycles on Gathurst Lane in Orrell. Used to sell Reliant 3 Wheelers. My uncle bought his brand new Rialto from there in about 1982, still has it but unfortunately it has been off road standing abandoned in his back garden for a good 20 years. Shame really as they must be rare as hens teeth now, particularly a one owner car.

Lived near to HL Gorner and it was only recently I heard that they once dealt in TVRs; strange I don't recall seeing many TVRs there as I used to pass the place almost daily.

Edited by Jukebag on Tuesday 17th January 15:12

Edited by Jukebag on Tuesday 17th January 15:55

Edited by Jukebag on Tuesday 17th January 17:58

[Jonnyfatlegs]

[quote=sider]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.

I was Parts Manager at Halls of Chorley, Then we were taken over by Sgl, They opened a new Branch in Preston and asked me to go for 2 weeks and open up the Parts Department, I was there until Mg Rover went Bust!

[SCOUSE99]

lastofthev8s said:

Yes my dad made many trips over the road from work in his lunch to 'browse' (or waste his lunch time!) when he worked on Dunningsbridge Road. Site was empty for years, but passed a couple of weeks back and Motor Range have moved in from their Maghull site which is now empty.

Yes Motor Range moved shortly before Christmas I believe, it's strange seeing the Maghull site (previously The Car Superstore and I believe prior to that it was Lenton & McComb Ford) empty now.

Formby Ford, who I believe were one of the oldest Ford dealers in the country, also went late last year. I believe that the owners retired and sold the building.

I was driving along Sefton Street the other week and I noticed that the Lookers Citroen garage had gone, it seems they've now moved to Edge Lane, to the former Caledonia Peugeot site, and are now part of Robins & Day.

[Wacky Racer]

Jukebag said:

Lived near to HL Gorner and it was only recently I heard that they once dealt in TVRs; strange I don't recall seeing many TVRs there as I used to pass the place almost daily.

I remember browsing around the showroom one afternoon, circa 2004, it had a nice selection of Brabus (Mercedes) and TVR cars, I remember several nice new Tuscans...


https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/h-...

[FalconWood]

Jonnyfatlegs said:

sider said:

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.

I was Parts Manager at Halls of Chorley, Then we were taken over by Sgl, They opened a new Branch in Preston and asked me to go for 2 weeks and open up the Parts Department, I was there until Mg Rover went Bust!

I remember they had a not for sale Lotus Europa in there around 2007!

[CanAm]

Jukebag said:

Lived near to HL Gorner and it was only recently I heard that they once dealt in TVRs; strange I don't recall seeing many TVRs there as I used to pass the place almost daily.

Was that Gorner's in Ashton-in-Makerfield? I remember seeing a Vixen there in the early 90s.

[V8FGO]

SCOUSE99 said:

Yes Motor Range moved shortly before Christmas I believe, it's strange seeing the Maghull site (previously The Car Superstore and I believe prior to that it was Lenton & McComb Ford) empty now.

Formby Ford, who I believe were one of the oldest Ford dealers in the country, also went late last year. I believe that the owners retired and sold the building.

I was driving along Sefton Street the other week and I noticed that the Lookers Citroen garage had gone, it seems they've now moved to Edge Lane, to the former Caledonia Peugeot site, and are now part of Robins & Day.

The Lookers showroom is now a gym. I think Arnold Clark closed down there last year too. I bought my first BMW from the original Williams place on Scotty Rd long since demolished.
Anyone old enough to remember Cars of Distinction which I think was on the corner of Preston street was around in the 70's. Sold a mix of Ferrari and Porsche etc.

[Tickle]

CanAm said:

Jukebag said:

Lived near to HL Gorner and it was only recently I heard that they once dealt in TVRs; strange I don't recall seeing many TVRs there as I used to pass the place almost daily.

Was that Gorner's in Ashton-in-Makerfield? I remember seeing a Vixen there in the early 90s.

I remember driving down the Lancs for a nosey at HL Gorners TVR's, IIRC they also sold Brabus too.

[CanAm]

GB&E's main showroom in Renshaw Street Liverpool, with that lovely curved glass window.

Sports Motors Manchester were well known as entrants of Brabhams and Chevrons in the 1960s, run by Rodney Bloor.

[Small Car]

CanAm said:

GB&E's main showroom in Renshaw Street Liverpool, with that lovely curved glass window.

Where Rapid Hardware used to be?

Along Renshaw St used to be the Sunbeam motorcycle dealer. Back in the 20s. My employer ended up owning the whole of one side of Renshaw St and it was all vacant, and I thought it would have been fun to return it back to a Sunbeam dealer for a day. Never happened!

[aaron_2000]

Reg Vardy and Polar Ford in Leeds. Scotthall BMW in Leeds. When I was only 3 my parents got their hastily bought ST170 from Polar ford after our 2000 Turbo was nicked. An ST170 I was looking at buying came from the same dealer about 2 months after.

[Frankthered]

lastofthev8s said:

SCOUSE99 said:

Anyone remember Switch Car???

Big used car supermarket on Dunnings Bridge Road in Netherton, Liverpool. They seemed to do good business, despite the majority of their stock always seeming worse for wear; I remember looking at a three-year-old VW Polo that was covered in scuffs and had a flat tyre!
They were eventually bought out by Carcraft about 6/7 years ago, who promptly shut the site and moved the stock to their own showroom in Knowsley.

The showroom is still there now, and is literally falling to bits! Not sure whether Cacraft is still going. The last time I passed the Knowsley showroom the forecourt was empty.

Yes my dad made many trips over the road from work in his lunch to 'browse' (or waste his lunch time!) when he worked on Dunningsbridge Road. Site was empty for years, but passed a couple of weeks back and Motor Range have moved in from their Maghull site which is now empty.

Feeling really old now - my first proper job was in the office block that was demolished to be replaced by Switch Car.

[davo1805]

Can anybody remember the name of the Standard-Triumph dealers in Blackpool during the mid-1960s? I'm trying to pull together my memoirs of growing up in Blackpool and I'm pretty sure that was where my Dad bought his first car - a 1954 Hillman Minx convertible which had been traded in.

Any feedback gratefully received - thanks!

[SCOUSE99]

Don't think it's been mentioned but MSF Ford Southport. I think they were based in Virginia Street, the site is now Lidl. My mum bought a Fiesta new from them in 1999 as Peoples, the nearest dealer to us, was too expensive.

My auntie then bought a Ka from them new in 2000; W935VBV - which must have been one of the lowest mileage Ka's in the country, only on around 19,000 miles when she sold it on in 2010, with full service history. Also did not have an inch of rust which is incredibly rare for a Ka of that era. Sadly it only lasted another couple of years, sold onto an idiot who unfortunately didn't care. Was a great little car.

MSF shut down shortly afterwards, though kept going on the Wirral. I think they're still there now, though now called "M53 Ford". It's worth noting that the old Peoples Ford showroom is still standing on Linacre Lane in Bootle, despite it being at least thirteen years since they relocated.

[Blown2CV]

i did my work experience at MSF Ford in Southport although wasn't it called something else before that?

[Frankthered]

Blown2CV said:

i did my work experience at MSF Ford in Southport although wasn't it called something else before that?

Yes it was, can't remember what though! It wasn't just Virginia Motors, was it?

[nobby c]

The dealer hasn't gone but the Ford dealer in Bolton have demolished the old Art Deco style showroom to build a new one, also what was Roberts on Tottington Rd ,Bury,Recently a Citroen dealer, has closed/re located.

[northwestrecovery]

Frankthered said:

Yes it was, can't remember what though! It wasn't just Virginia Motors, was it?

It was called holland motors /jennings of southport and m&s ford , i worked for all three of them over a 9 yr period .