Old NW car dealers

[RossCampbellRoss]

Lookers Vauxhall, Woodchurch Rd Birkenhead: Now closed.

[348jeff]

Blown2CV said:

Frankthered said:

RossCampbellRoss said:

The former Lifes Morgan showroom in Southport town centre. I believe the business now shares premises in Banks with a Lotus specialist, but isn't an official Morgan dealer.

It would appear, according to their Facebook page, that they have moved back into the premises in Southport as of May 15th.

For some strange reason, this makes me very happy.

i remember that from growing up in southport. Hadn't realised it had left or returned!

I went passed there (due to this thread) about 2 or 3 weeks there and the glass front is now all bricked up and no cars outside anymore. However, there was an entrance to the right of the showroom (not shown on pic) that was open and there were folk working on Morgans in there so there is a business there but no showroom to speak of.

[rjb1970]

lastofthev8s said:

andicog said:

What about Livlock and Edwards Rover/Leyland dealer on coronation Rd in Crosby? (now Tesco) Or the other Leyland dealer on Bridge Rd near Blundellsands, was it Camerons? Ryders Ford in Crosby, 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.
I can also remember a dealer by the shell station at the top of South Rd waterloo.

Edited by andicog on Saturday 30th August 22:02

Yes, it was Livock and Edwards up until Rover went kaput a few years ago.

I remember the dealer on Bridge Road too which I think was Cameron's as you say. It was quite a big building on 2 or 3 floors from what I remember (more or less opposite the motorbike dealers) and is now a block of flats. Also didn't they have a site on Crosby Road North by St Faiths church (couple of storeys high-may have been a repairs garage, it's from my early years ) It became the Esso petrol station handily named Cameron's and then redeveloped into the Tesco Express.

Ryders became a furniture store after closing the Crosby site (and remaining at Knowsley Road sea forth for a while) and then became the charity shop as mentioned.

Remember Trimoco too, didn't they have the multi level building near Livock and Edwards too (opposite side 200 yards or so down-building still there as far as I know a solicitors I think) along with the service garage near the railway bridge on Mersey Road (now Delta Taxis garage, grrrr!). Company I used to work for bought a couple 205's from them in the early 90's (well the second was due to the first getting stuck on Ainsdale beach and flooded by the tide - nope it wasn't me )
Was Trimoco also at the Crosby Park Nissan site near the public toilet / library near College Road?

Am sure the dealer in the the Shell station forecourt was one of the two Crosby Motorworld sites, the other being down South Road in what is now Tony Almonds home & Garden store http://www.tonyalmond.co.uk/about.php

Bridge Road was called Hepburn's, Cameron's is now the Tesco next to St Faith's Church near Merchant Taylors

[rjb1970]

I noticed recently that Crosby Park Nissan seems to be the only Crosby dealership that's still there, there were loads of them when I was growing up there. I remember when Crosby Park was Fiat in the 1980s, but can anyone remember what they were before that or when they first opened? Any old pictures? Thanks :-)

[Mini2]

Great thread… I’m wondering if there are any photos of Cubbin & North Citroen in Bebington on the Wirral? Or James Edwards Peugeot in Heswall?

Seems impossible to find these little time capsule photos but worth a go.

Couple of contributions from me… Leaders Fiat and Citroen in Bootle, early 2000s, and Road Range Mercedes when it was at Mann Island.

Edited by Mini2 on Sunday 20th February 22:27

[DanDud]

rjb1970 said:

I noticed recently that Crosby Park Nissan seems to be the only Crosby dealership that's still there, there were loads of them when I was growing up there. I remember when Crosby Park was Fiat in the 1980s, but can anyone remember what they were before that or when they first opened? Any old pictures? Thanks :-)

We certainly are the only one left in the area!

We were with Toyota originally when we opened on Coronation road.

My grandfather started Brooke motors selling Jag & Renault in the late 50’s (59 from memory) & 60’s originally then him and his 2 sons built crosby park and moved there getting Toyota in.

Crosby park first opened in either 69 or 73 (can’t remember which off the top of my head) and we joined Nissan in 1992.
I’m the 3rd generation in the family business and have loads of photos of it being built by my grandad, dad & uncles own hands.

[Om]

J4CKO said:

Not dealers but car audio places

Anyone remember Transound and one called Auto Audio in Chorlton ?

Ha, I missed this. I remember Transound but particularly Auto Audio in Chorlton. They fitted out my Mk1 MR2 with a Rockford Fosgate amp and speakers/boxes. plus several other things. I also recall being in the shop the afternoon the IRA bomb went off in M/C and hearing about it on the radio...

[Om]

Briefly mentioned early on in the thread - Kinsey Jones Lotus in Alderley Edge.

The showroom was previously Wallwork Volvo (and before that was another garage on the site (Eadingtons apparently - https://www.alderleyedge.com/forum/topic/285). I vividly recall Kinseys in the late 90s always being packed, with Elises parked everywhere in Alderley it seemed. I remember some outlandish claims being made in the local papers about them selling more Lotus than anywhere else in the world but I am not sure how much truth there was in it. This was back when footballers still drank in the bars and before everybody turned orange.

Subsequently became Est Est Est Italian restaurant and latterly/now Gusto another pizzeria...

[Charlie Croker mk2]

This was the Peugeot garage on Glodwick Road Oldham , it was firstly operated as "Sven Carlson" then later operated as PGC Peugeot Talbot . I think PGC was / is a Rochdale company . Bit of trivia is the building was originally "Watsons carpets" and after the car showroom & workshop closed it became a successful clothing manufactures . The building & business are still there .

Edited by Charlie Croker mk2 on Sunday 1st May 15:57

[andicog]

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.

The dealer on bridge road was called Hepburns, sold Rover, Jag etc. Trimoco had the 2 story building on coronation Road, formerly Smith and Gardener Nissan and before that they were Audi NSU. I worked for Trimoco but the workshop and bodyshop were on mersey view down the side of the bridge, now Delta garages. The small garage near the library is Crosby park garage, now Nissan but was Toyota at one point. My friend runs a small garage just off South Rd (Motek) it was originally a Jaguar dealer many years ago, there was also Tom England's VW on Moor Lane (worked there) and Thornton garage on edge lane Thornton that were Hillman then Talbot and Diahatsu.

[andicog]

Trimoco, formerly Smith and Gardener, Coronation Rd, Crosby

[andicog]

DanDud said:

We certainly are the only one left in the area!

We were with Toyota originally when we opened on Coronation road.

My grandfather started Brooke motors selling Jag & Renault in the late 50’s (59 from memory) & 60’s originally then him and his 2 sons built crosby park and moved there getting Toyota in.

Crosby park first opened in either 69 or 73 (can’t remember which off the top of my head) and we joined Nissan in 1992.
I’m the 3rd generation in the family business and have loads of photos of it being built by my grandad, dad & uncles own hands.

I remember Brooke motors Renault, one of the mechanics lived 3 doors down, Robert Rothwell. I worked at Trimoco and Tom England's as a sprayer. Is Tony G still with Crosby Park? He was at Tom England's years back.

[MDMA .]

Timms Ford in Leigh.

[northwestrecovery]

andicog said:

I remember Brooke motors Renault, one of the mechanics lived 3 doors down, Robert Rothwell. I worked at Trimoco and Tom England's as a sprayer. Is Tony G still with Crosby Park? He was at Tom England's years back.

Do you mean greedy gordon ? Cant think why he left !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by northwestrecovery on Thursday 5th January 16:53

[Wacky Racer]

ginettajoe said:

Wacky Racer said:

Son Nigel (My mate) has a garage in nearby Stalybridge, and probably knows more about TR5's and 6's than anyone in the country, having worked on them for fifty years.

...... "Barmy Bancroft"!!

RIP Nige. He died two months ago. The number of TR's from all over the place at his funeral was very impressive.

[Vocht]

[Pistonho]

A Jaguar dealership on Oxford Road from the 80/90s near the Manchester hospital complex. Long gone now with retail/apartment/offices built on the old garage site.

[ginettajoe]

Wacky Racer said:

ginettajoe said:

Wacky Racer said:

Son Nigel (My mate) has a garage in nearby Stalybridge, and probably knows more about TR5's and 6's than anyone in the country, having worked on them for fifty years.

...... "Barmy Bancroft"!!

RIP Nige. He died two months ago. The number of TR's from all over the place at his funeral was very impressive.

..... very, very sad. I spent most of the afternoon at Richard Sproston's funeral at The Bull in Mottram St Andrew with Nigel, never imagining that a couple of months later, he would go too. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend Nigel's funeral because I was working on something it was impossible to miss.

[AlexGSi2000]

Not sure if this one has already been listed;

Yugo - Halebank Road, Halewood.

Never remember it being open, went past once or twice as a kid and completely forgot about it until it ended up being on my commute home.

Has been closed many years, demolished around 2 years ago with houses now in its place.

[DanDud]

andicog said:

I remember Brooke motors Renault, one of the mechanics lived 3 doors down, Robert Rothwell. I worked at Trimoco and Tom England's as a sprayer. Is Tony G still with Crosby Park? He was at Tom England's years back.

Nah he left us about 5 years ago after 27 years. Still see him all the time.