Glasgow car dealers in the 60's -70's

Glasgow car dealers in the 60's -70's

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ian2144

Original Poster:

1,660 posts

221 months

Saturday 19th December 2015
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[quote=ian2144]



A story my father used to tell many moons ago, both Arnold Clark and Norrie Clalander started their motor trading in the early 50's on Temple Bridge Anniesland. Arnold was always referred to as " that fly ba night dealer"[quote]


HendryG, as an ex employee, did you ever hear any stuff from the early days ?


HendryG

308 posts

160 months

Sunday 20th December 2015
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No not a lot of stories, but I was surprised by how many long serving loyal employees were with the company, a lot of the older people in the branches and the managers and so on had worked with the company a long time and could recall when it was mainly a Glasgow based company that only had 9 or 10 showrooms. I found it surprising because the impression you get from a lot of people is Arnold's is full of staff who flit from branch to branch before leaving or who do the rounds of different motor trade companies, or people who join and leave a few months later, the amount of stories of complaint you read from customers who are promised this that and the next thing from a salesman and are fobbed off for months and then find out the salesman has left the company makes you think this but its actually not the case. The newer members of staff must be a lot less tolerant because the guys who are still with the company and have been for 20-odd years will tell you how they've been in a dozen branches and done everything from apprentice parts advisor through to senior car salesman. Another odd thing is the number who have been promoted to sales managers, general managers and dealer principals but are now back to just salesmen and don't seem bothered. It's a weird mentality where if you are a top salesman selling 30 cars a month you get promoted to a manager because they clearly think if you can sell that many cars you must be able to manage another dozen guys into doing the same and it just doesn't work.

I've seen guys forced to other branches because their faces don't fit, by general managers, bully boy tactics and all manner of underhand stuff, I've even bought cars when I worked for the company at other branches and the cars have had faults or been badly prepped where you'd think they'd be making sure it was 100% so it didn't reach management or go around the company how bad their standards are but they don't care, if that's how staff cars are being treated God knows the state punters are being sold cars in, what I will say is the branches I worked in were far from perfect but the people I worked with would go the extra mile to bend over backwards to sort out many problems to get a sale or if the customer came back with an issue or even the after sales dept would go out their way to get stuff done on warranty and so on, because they would get dragged over the coals by managers otherwise, if every branch was like that they would have a pretty good reputation, I'm not sure how they "get away" with such poor service elsewhere because management in the branch itself go loopy about things happening which they the managers "need to fix before head office or customer services get involved" because of the hassle that process is for them so the staff members whove messed up get collared for it.

ACs biggest problem is its not a car dealership, it may look like one and offer all the services of a car dealership but that's because it has to to satisfy franchise standards, its pretty much a car sales company, and a used car sales business at that, that's all they really care about, the only reason they have franchises is A. To get good quality used car stock as trade ins for new cars, they can then sell on the used car trade ins at but profits as theres more money in them than new cars. B. To get access to ex management cars, ex rentals and so on that the manufacturer buys rom daily rental companies and sells on to franchised dealers. C. To pre register cars and sell them on as technically used cars at vastly reduced prices as most people these days don't care about brand new, an otherwise brand new car with the dealers name as first owner on the V5 and £3000 cheaper than list is a smart buy. Why do you think you seem more pre reg than new cars in an Arnie's branch, the showroom which should be and in any other retailers showroom would be full of new cars is full of pre reg.

Vanin

1,010 posts

165 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Bit of a thread bump after two years but I am interested in finding out who the first owner was of an Aston DB6 Volante that was sold by Callanders in April 1967
It was Mink in colour, a sort of silvery gold and the numberplate was 48 GGG (GG Glasgow plate?)
Anyone know of any older employees of Callanders who may be able to help.
The history is everything with these old classics

HendryG

308 posts

160 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Vanin said:
Bit of a thread bump after two years but I am interested in finding out who the first owner was of an Aston DB6 Volante that was sold by Callanders in April 1967
It was Mink in colour, a sort of silvery gold and the numberplate was 48 GGG (GG Glasgow plate?)
Anyone know of any older employees of Callanders who may be able to help.
The history is everything with these old classics
If its your car or you have a legitimate interest in the history of the car, you can send away a V888 form to the DVLA and they will send you copies of everything they have on file for the car which will include copies of lists of previous owners of the car and so on.

Vanin

1,010 posts

165 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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It is my car and they have nothing earlier than 1980. The original build sheet is where I see that it was sent to but the first owner was not named (unlike other build sheets I have seen).
I asked Aston Heritage but they just had a copy of the same build sheet.
I have looked in early AMOC members handbooks but there is nothing until 1980

As I said, it is a bit of a long shot, but there may be an elderly ex employee up there who might have remembered working on the car, and remembering the owner.

Bogsye

390 posts

151 months

Friday 10th November 2017
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Perhaps not quite the correct thread, as it’s a repair garage and not a dealership, but worth a shot.

I believe my grandfather was a partner in this business, so perhaps 50’s. The location is somewhere in Glasgow’s west end.

I’d be interested if anyone can figure what street it is. A long shot, I know, as I assume it’s long since been demolished and built on.

Brian


ian2144

Original Poster:

1,660 posts

221 months

Friday 10th November 2017
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Bogsye said:
Perhaps not quite the correct thread, as it’s a repair garage and not a dealership, but worth a shot.

I believe my grandfather was a partner in this business, so perhaps 50’s. The location is somewhere in Glasgow’s west end.

I’d be interested if anyone can figure what street it is. A long shot, I know, as I assume it’s long since been demolished and built on.

Brian

The only garage I remember on Kirklee Rd was Callanders they were Mercedes Benz and Auto Union/DKW dealership. I was there with my Father when he was buying parts for his Auto Union, 1964 or thereabouts.

Bogsye

390 posts

151 months

Friday 10th November 2017
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Thank Ian - that’s interesting.
I’ll do some research around that. Perhaps the photo archives at the Mitchell might yield something,

StescoG66

2,108 posts

142 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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Could that be Clarence Drive, where Caruth Autos now stands? A bit of the building pictured could be still there (Great Western Motors)

Edited by StescoG66 on Saturday 11th November 08:50

matchmaker

8,462 posts

199 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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StescoG66 said:
Could that be Clarence Drive, where Caruth Autos now stands? A bit of the building pictured could be still there (Great Western Motors)

Edited by StescoG66 on Saturday 11th November 08:50
Definitely not Clarence Drive. There was a BL dealership in Kirklee Road (Appleyard Gibbon?). I remember going there one evening in the 70s for an open night with Tony Pond and Brian Culcheth. Hilarious pair!

Bogsye

390 posts

151 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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Thanks folks.
Some more ideas to research.

irc

7,166 posts

135 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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Bogsye said:
Perhaps not quite the correct thread, as it’s a repair garage and not a dealership, but worth a shot.

I believe my grandfather was a partner in this business, so perhaps 50’s. The location is somewhere in Glasgow’s west end.

I’d be interested if anyone can figure what street it is. A long shot, I know, as I assume it’s long since been demolished and built on.

Brian

That looks to me like the former garage in Garrioch Road. In the 1980s it was Jim Watt's Garage. Now a block of flats as per google streetview.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.8829961,-4.28814...


Edited by irc on Wednesday 15th November 19:02

ian2144

Original Poster:

1,660 posts

221 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
quotequote all
irc said:
Bogsye said:
Perhaps not quite the correct thread, as it’s a repair garage and not a dealership, but worth a shot.

I believe my grandfather was a partner in this business, so perhaps 50’s. The location is somewhere in Glasgow’s west end.

I’d be interested if anyone can figure what street it is. A long shot, I know, as I assume it’s long since been demolished and built on.

Brian

That looks to me like the former garage in Garrioch Road. In the 1980s it was Jim Watt's Garage. Now a block of flats as per google streetview.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.8829961,-4.28814...


Edited by irc on Wednesday 15th November 19:02
Good shout, Jim watts place did cross my mind, but thought the forecourt looked a bit on the shallow side......but things do change over the years.

steveL98

1,090 posts

179 months

Thursday 16th November 2017
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I remember Blythswood Motors off Argyle St, near the Kelvin Hall, its a Sainsbury's now but back in the 60's and '70's they had the cream of American and British sports cars in there.

..also,

Albany Motors in Pollockshaws (Pollockshields?) opposite the railway and up from the Coliseum. The had some excellent US musclecars in there and also the white Probe 16 as used in the Clockwork Orange (Durango 95) which was built out of old Morris 1800 landcrab parts. No doors, you climbed onto the raised seat and it lowered you down into the car.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probe_16

Bogsye

390 posts

151 months

Friday 17th November 2017
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Thanks too for the suggestion. In Shanghai right now so a bit restricted on my research capabilities.

Back on the main theme of the thread, I recall finding a receipt in the back of a friends BMW e9 csa for a company called Bardeene Automotive.
Can’t recall the address but it seemed to look like it was a rep for Lamborghini. This I think would have been the 70’s.

Ring any bells?

steveL98

1,090 posts

179 months

Friday 17th November 2017
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On the Broomielaw, just after the end of the bridge on the right, you used to drive over the Clyde on Commerce St., was a marine outboard and Lamborghini agent in a building now occupied by Gracie Barra and a fitness gym. Hope that makes sense.


woodysnr

1,023 posts

227 months

Friday 17th November 2017
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Is that where Gerry Birrells place was under the railway aches .Down Jamaca st turn right before going over the bridge

cuprabob

14,414 posts

213 months

Friday 17th November 2017
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I remember the outboard motor place being there in the early 80s. It's right under the railway tracks going into Central Station on the Broomielaw before you turn right onto Jamaica St / Glasgow Bridge.

I also remember Mickey Oates bike shop being just down from Anderson Bus Station around the same time before relocating to Port Dundas

Edited by cuprabob on Friday 17th November 22:15

Bogsye

390 posts

151 months

Saturday 18th November 2017
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Broomielaw - that indeed rings a bell from that invoice!
Thanks
Brian

StescoG66

2,108 posts

142 months

Saturday 18th November 2017
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cuprabob said:
I remember the outboard motor place being there in the early 80s. It's right under the railway tracks going into Central Station on the Broomielaw before you turn right onto Jamaica St / Glasgow Bridge.

I also remember Mickey Oates bike shop being just down from Anderson Bus Station around the same time before relocating to Port Dundas

Edited by cuprabob on Friday 17th November 22:15
It was an outboard motor place in to the early 2000s as far as I can recall