Wheelhouse Nottingham 1980's Supercar Dealer

Wheelhouse Nottingham 1980's Supercar Dealer

Author
Discussion

Ferruccio

1,832 posts

118 months

Friday 10th January 2020
quotequote all
There was also a pink Diablo, though a more subtle pink than this.
It was a lady who used part of her divorce settlement to buy it and the colour specced was as per her scarf.

rich888

2,610 posts

198 months

Friday 10th January 2020
quotequote all
rat rod said:
rich888 said:
I travelled down quite a few times in the late 1980s to the Carrera Sport Supercar test days at Goodwood which was organised by Mike Pullen. Was a brilliant day out, though sadly didn't take enough photographs because in those days I didn't have loads of money and film was limited to 36 pics per roll.

I took a few pics of the outrageous pink Countach owned by the dentist from Halifax which I have now scanned and uploaded:








Edited by rich888 on Thursday 9th January 23:14
WOW !! thanks for posting rich888, that brings back happy memories, mike's carrera sport track days at goodwood and the de tomaso club days at castle coombe with no or very little noise restrictions were the best, imagine 5 some times more countachs on sports exhausts flat out down goodwood pit straight ! that's never going to happen some time soon, happy days !! noticed the aluminum on the exhaust panel on the pink countach ,i must be mistaken as i though it was chicken wire ,i knew it was something a bit different about it ,got that a little wrong,
No worries, and yes it was a fantastic day out, though was a long drive down from Nottingham, seem to recollect the roads south of the M25 were beautiful, though I did get pulled over once by two coppers with a radar gun though wasn't speeding at the time.

You mentioned the De Tomaso club days, I attended a couple of their events and took a few photos which are archived somewhere. Will scan the negatives when I find them!

The noise restrictions at Goodwood did become a bit more stringent in the later years as more of the locals complained, and am sure that a Jag XJ220 owner was turned away from taking his car out onto the circuit on the grounds that his exhaust was too loud, this despite the fact that he had driven it all the way down from London. Am pretty sure I took a few pics of that car.

Talking of Goodwood, did anyone take any pics of the Ferrari F40 that crashed on the circuit, as per normal I had used all my film up.

Incidentally, have you taken a look at photos posted on another PH thread which is well worth a read, link is: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

As for Wheelhouse in Nottingham, I drove past the showroom a few times but never actually stopped off to view the cars on offer, mainly because the showroom was close to the ring road which I avoided like the plague. I tended to drool over the cars at the showroom located at the back of Sytner BMW on Huntingdon Street because they allowed customers to park their cars there when shopping, or Deans in Bulwell who used to have an eclectic mix of cars.

Martin350

3,775 posts

194 months

Saturday 11th January 2020
quotequote all
Also posted on the other 'Past Nottingham Dealerships' thread:

After quite some digging tonight I've found a few photos of what I believe was the pink Countach in question.

This is at Brands Hatch in June 1994.





And at Hever Castle, Kent, a bit longer ago than I thought, in August 2009. Now with white wheels and mirrors.






rat rod

4,997 posts

64 months

Saturday 11th January 2020
quotequote all
rich888 said:
rat rod said:
rich888 said:
I travelled down quite a few times in the late 1980s to the Carrera Sport Supercar test days at Goodwood which was organised by Mike Pullen. Was a brilliant day out, though sadly didn't take enough photographs because in those days I didn't have loads of money and film was limited to 36 pics per roll.

I took a few pics of the outrageous pink Countach owned by the dentist from Halifax which I have now scanned and uploaded:








Edited by rich888 on Thursday 9th January 23:14
WOW !! thanks for posting rich888, that brings back happy memories, mike's carrera sport track days at goodwood and the de tomaso club days at castle coombe with no or very little noise restrictions were the best, imagine 5 some times more countachs on sports exhausts flat out down goodwood pit straight ! that's never going to happen some time soon, happy days !! noticed the aluminum on the exhaust panel on the pink countach ,i must be mistaken as i though it was chicken wire ,i knew it was something a bit different about it ,got that a little wrong,
No worries, and yes it was a fantastic day out, though was a long drive down from Nottingham, seem to recollect the roads south of the M25 were beautiful, though I did get pulled over once by two coppers with a radar gun though wasn't speeding at the time.

You mentioned the De Tomaso club days, I attended a couple of their events and took a few photos which are archived somewhere. Will scan the negatives when I find them!

The noise restrictions at Goodwood did become a bit more stringent in the later years as more of the locals complained, and am sure that a Jag XJ220 owner was turned away from taking his car out onto the circuit on the grounds that his exhaust was too loud, this despite the fact that he had driven it all the way down from London. Am pretty sure I took a few pics of that car.

Talking of Goodwood, did anyone take any pics of the Ferrari F40 that crashed on the circuit, as per normal I had used all my film up.

Incidentally, have you taken a look at photos posted on another PH thread which is well worth a read, link is: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

As for Wheelhouse in Nottingham, I drove past the showroom a few times but never actually stopped off to view the cars on offer, mainly because the showroom was close to the ring road which I avoided like the plague. I tended to drool over the cars at the showroom located at the back of Sytner BMW on Huntingdon Street because they allowed customers to park their cars there when shopping, or Deans in Bulwell who used to have an eclectic mix of cars.
i have never been on gassing forum as i spend to much time on p.h as it is but i have seen that thread on super cars so they may have moved it to gassing,,for me this was the best period for super cars , don't think we appreciated the low prices at the time with some cars at the time nobody seem to want at all, the owners were real characters and didn't seem to take themselves to seriously, most dealers were like minded petrol heads in modest showrooms in the real world unlike the plate glass marble floored showrooms today with aloof salesman who won't give you the time of day unless you are wearing the latest rolex and designer clothes.. sorry going off subject,a bit, although i have had two de tomaso's i always took my 308 gtb track car to the their track days at castle coombe and was disappointed that apart from the parade lap there was a lack de domaso's actually on the track,only counted two enjoying themselves, shame as they looked and sounded fantastic, most seem to prefer to have a picnic' leaving mostly ferrari's, porsche's and cosworth' to enjoy the track,, i live close to goodwood so spend to much time there but what with the low decibel levels with the noise monitors around the track going straight to the local council office and apart from the rivival and the members meeting looks like we won't see the likes of the track days like the carrara sport again, shame !

Ferruccio

1,832 posts

118 months

Saturday 11th January 2020
quotequote all
rat rod said:
i have never been on gassing forum as i spend to much time on p.h as it is but i have seen that thread on super cars so they may have moved it to gassing,,for me this was the best period for super cars , don't think we appreciated the low prices at the time with some cars at the time nobody seem to want at all, the owners were real characters and didn't seem to take themselves to seriously, most dealers were like minded petrol heads in modest showrooms in the real world unlike the plate glass marble floored showrooms today with aloof salesman who won't give you the time of day unless you are wearing the latest rolex and designer clothes.. sorry going off subject,a bit, although i have had two de tomaso's i always took my 308 gtb track car to the their track days at castle coombe and was disappointed that apart from the parade lap there was a lack de domaso's actually on the track,only counted two enjoying themselves, shame as they looked and sounded fantastic, most seem to prefer to have a picnic' leaving mostly ferrari's, porsche's and cosworth' to enjoy the track,, i live close to goodwood so spend to much time there but what with the low decibel levels with the noise monitors around the track going straight to the local council office and apart from the rivival and the members meeting looks like we won't see the likes of the track days like the carrara sport again, shame !
It was a happy band of irregulars in those days.
You can still find that spirit today if you look!!

rat rod

4,997 posts

64 months

Saturday 11th January 2020
quotequote all
Ferruccio said:
rat rod said:
i have never been on gassing forum as i spend to much time on p.h as it is but i have seen that thread on super cars so they may have moved it to gassing,,for me this was the best period for super cars , don't think we appreciated the low prices at the time with some cars at the time nobody seem to want at all, the owners were real characters and didn't seem to take themselves to seriously, most dealers were like minded petrol heads in modest showrooms in the real world unlike the plate glass marble floored showrooms today with aloof salesman who won't give you the time of day unless you are wearing the latest rolex and designer clothes.. sorry going off subject,a bit, although i have had two de tomaso's i always took my 308 gtb track car to the their track days at castle coombe and was disappointed that apart from the parade lap there was a lack de domaso's actually on the track,only counted two enjoying themselves, shame as they looked and sounded fantastic, most seem to prefer to have a picnic' leaving mostly ferrari's, porsche's and cosworth' to enjoy the track,, i live close to goodwood so spend to much time there but what with the low decibel levels with the noise monitors around the track going straight to the local council office and apart from the rivival and the members meeting looks like we won't see the likes of the track days like the carrara sport again, shame !
It was a happy band of irregulars in those days.
You can still find that spirit today if you look!!
Irregulars ,what a great word to describe them ferruccio, still see some of the old faces occasionally at peter saywells charity track days but don't get to castle coombe much these days as not much going on there that interests me , just remembered another slightly mad track day at goodwood was when joe macari would invite his customers and mates there , after a liquid lunch the afternoon sessions were quite spectacular , sorry really have gone off subject now but doesn't it always,,

speedick

138 posts

236 months

Saturday 11th January 2020
quotequote all
As a 17 year old lad I helped my (widow) mum find a new family car in Nottingham. "Good excuse to get into Wheelhouse showroom" methinks.

After 30 mins of drooling over the stock we actually ended up buying a car from there a ........... wait for it ........... Beige Mk2 Escort 1.3L. The reg was BJF499T, me and both my younger brothers learned to drive in it, I passed my test (2nd attempt) and popped my cherry in the back a week later, All 3 of us crashed it.

The best one was the youngest brother, in those days you could drive right into slab square in front of the town hall. He did this on a busy Friday night then turned left near the flying horse pub (going the wrong way up a one way street !). He panicked, reversed very quickly (back around the corner), then the wheel snatched out of his hand onto full lock and the car rolled onto its side !. The crowd rolled it back like it was on the RAC.

I saw it years later and the owner said how solid it was (they all rusted in those days) I then told him that the roof was pretty much the only remaining original panel (and that had filler in it !)

All things being equal though, probably one of the most significant cars we've ever owned.


Fiammetta

404 posts

87 months

Saturday 29th February 2020
quotequote all
The Pink Lambo , we had it in our waiting room at our Dental practice in Barnsley .
It was the principles car .He was a highly regarded practitioner in those days and I had the pleasure to work with him for a couple of years after graduation.

The reason it was in the waiting room because of a blown the engine .Something about a duff service and hot metal getting ingested .
We used it to attract patients , bit of a talking point .
On the practice open day we shoved it outside into the shopping precinct , tied balloons on it and took pics of kids sitting in it .

The principals daily was a white 911 , Later the car was repainted white .
The clue to the dentist name is in the colour.

The reason he specced it pink was simply to stand out and be different , he like being the first and different at stuff .This contradicts his personality he was a very shy guy .

There were 4 of us young just qualified dentist working with him in the late 80 ,s all of us went on to very successful and car nuts , and on to run our own successful practices .
Hardly surprising with that car sat in the waiting room for the patients to relax looking at it .

After a few Porsche’s I ended up with red Testarossa and since a few other F cars .


Edited by Fiammetta on Saturday 29th February 21:03


Edited by Fiammetta on Saturday 29th February 21:07

andrew

9,952 posts

191 months

Saturday 29th February 2020
quotequote all
Martin350 said:
Also posted on the other 'Past Nottingham Dealerships' thread:

After quite some digging tonight I've found a few photos of what I believe was the pink Countach in question.

This is at Brands Hatch in June 1994.





And at Hever Castle, Kent, a bit longer ago than I thought, in August 2009. Now with white wheels and mirrors.





small world
the grey superleggera at the back of the fourth pic is mine thumbup

Martin350

3,775 posts

194 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
andrew said:
small world
the grey superleggera at the back of the fourth pic is mine thumbup
Very nice too!
I think I might have also seen your car at a Goodwood Breakfast Club meet..?

fyfe

192 posts

144 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
The Lamborghini Life said:
Does anyone know how many Black right hand drive Lamborghini Jalpa’s came into this country?

Does anyone know the whereabouts of a Black Lamborghini Jalpa that may well be the very one I say in back in the 1980’s?

Any help with this will be very much appreciated.

Thank you
I have a black RHD Jalpa. Do you remember the interior color?


andrew

9,952 posts

191 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Martin350 said:
andrew said:
small world
the grey superleggera at the back of the fourth pic is mine thumbup
Very nice too!
I think I might have also seen your car at a Goodwood Breakfast Club meet..?
i used to be a regular until crap marshalling sadly led to those ridiculous queues rolleyes

Martin350

3,775 posts

194 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2020
quotequote all
It was the early mornings I struggled to deal with! laugh

The Lamborghini Life

Original Poster:

20 posts

50 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2020
quotequote all
Your Jalpa looks amazing. I am going to spend a day at Nottingham library looking through the Nottingham Evening Post archives and I will find the Wheelhouse Advertisment and know what Jalpa I actually sat in.

I recently joined The Lamborghini Club and a very member knew how many Black Jalpas came into the coutry in the 1980's

As soon as I track down Wheelhouse Advertisment I will post the details on this topic.

Thanks everyone for your interest and amazing experiences.

Be great if anyone had any Wheelhouse photographs when they were on Lortas Road in Basford Nottingahm.

fyfe

192 posts

144 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2020
quotequote all
The Lamborghini Life said:
Your Jalpa looks amazing. I am going to spend a day at Nottingham library looking through the Nottingham Evening Post archives and I will find the Wheelhouse Advertisment and know what Jalpa I actually sat in.

I recently joined The Lamborghini Club and a very member knew how many Black Jalpas came into the coutry in the 1980's

As soon as I track down Wheelhouse Advertisment I will post the details on this topic.

Thanks everyone for your interest and amazing experiences.

Be great if anyone had any Wheelhouse photographs when they were on Lortas Road in Basford Nottingahm.
I'll see if I can run through my documentation and look for any references to Nottingham. It came to me via stops in County Durham and Essex but I'm not sure where it was before then.

raymondqv

120 posts

99 months

Wednesday 4th March 2020
quotequote all
There are many black one, in addition some Acapulco blue which shines depending on the light also black

DLA12061 Gun metal black, red
ELA12144 black, cream
ELA12155 black, black
ELA12169 black, magnolia
ELA12181 black magnolia
FLA12190 black, magnolia
HLA12348 black,black
HLA12349 black, magnolia
JLA12388 black, cream
JLA12398 black, white
JLA12405 gun metal, cream

Best is to post a picture since I know many from their registration.

raymondqv

120 posts

99 months

Wednesday 4th March 2020
quotequote all
@Fyfe
22.9.1986 reg D522FYX Pollard

HLA12349 is a black, UK-spec car with tan interior and was imported to the UK in September 1986. It originally had a wing but now doesn't (although I have retained mounting points in case I want to fit one again). It's running with the UK number plate "D433 RVU" and I'm unlikely to change that. It previously had the number plates "D522 FYX" and "43 KC".

fyfe

192 posts

144 months

Wednesday 4th March 2020
quotequote all
raymondqv said:
@Fyfe
22.9.1986 reg D522FYX Pollard

HLA12349 is a black, UK-spec car with tan interior and was imported to the UK in September 1986. It originally had a wing but now doesn't (although I have retained mounting points in case I want to fit one again). It's running with the UK number plate "D433 RVU" and I'm unlikely to change that. It previously had the number plates "D522 FYX" and "43 KC".
Yes, that's it. I can trace it back to that owner, and every owner since, but I can't see where the initial purchase was made. I don't have access to my full files at the moment so can't check for sure but I think it's unlikely it's the exact car sought based purely on the travel distances involved. Still, stranger things have happened - I traveled the length of the country to buy it so it's not impossible.

The Lamborghini Life

Original Poster:

20 posts

50 months

Thursday 5th March 2020
quotequote all
Forgive my ignoranc,e what do the initals stand for in the list of Black Jalpa's?

Do they denote the years of manufacture?



fyfe

192 posts

144 months

Thursday 5th March 2020
quotequote all
The Lamborghini Life said:
Forgive my ignoranc,e what do the initals stand for in the list of Black Jalpa's?

Do they denote the years of manufacture?
It's the last chunk of the VIN. We tend to skip the first 9 digits. Then it breaks down like so:

Digit 10 Year H 1987
Digit 11 Plant L Sant'Agata Bolognese - Bologna, Italy
Digit 12 - 14 WMI Code A12 Lamborghini Manufacting Code-A12
Digit 15 - 17 Serial Number 349 Serial Number

So year, plant and manufacturer