Haynes of Maidstone Ford RS Dealers
Discussion
Hammer67 said:
My old man worked there in truck sales for 30 odd years from the early 60s until he retired around 20 years ago.
Have lots of memories of visiting the place as a kid.
One famous story was circa 1977 when James Hunts F1 McLaren was on display in the showroom. Nobody was allowed in it obviously but one of the directors, David Haynes IIRC decided to get in for a photo.
He then was unable to get out and had to wait in it for hours until McLaren sent some techs to dismantle the car around him to free him.
Nice story !Have lots of memories of visiting the place as a kid.
One famous story was circa 1977 when James Hunts F1 McLaren was on display in the showroom. Nobody was allowed in it obviously but one of the directors, David Haynes IIRC decided to get in for a photo.
He then was unable to get out and had to wait in it for hours until McLaren sent some techs to dismantle the car around him to free him.
Would your Dad have any memories of RS3100 being sold by Haynes in 74 ?
Hammer67 said:
Unlikely, he isn`t in any way a PHer or car enthusiast.
Plus he`s now 83 and not in the best of health. I`ll ask him though, next time I see him.
Anything in particular or just generally?
Would he have any memories of selling RS Capris ? Plus he`s now 83 and not in the best of health. I`ll ask him though, next time I see him.
Anything in particular or just generally?
Haynes sold my white RS3100 new in March 1974.
We have the first owners name, but no Address as yet.
Rang them, but we should have asked to speak to one of the directors as, as expected, we got no where.
249 of these cars are said to have been built.
They were very hard to sell. In July 74, 50 were shipped out to OZ.
Presumably these 50, were unsold cars, cars that had been sitting @ the various Ford dealers, so Ford gathered them together ( maybe @ Warley ) before shipping them down to the docks and onto a boat for OZ.
Did Haynes have just one 3100 or did they sell others ??
Edited by neutral 3 on Wednesday 24th February 15:01
Hammer67 said:
OK, next time I speak to the old chap I`ll ask him. I`d be very surprised if he`s able to help, he was in truck sales dealing with conversions.
Out of interest does your Capris reg sport a 2 digit number?
Many of the cars my old man had from Haynes were, ones I can recall were GKE10N, XKO88S, GKL77Y.
GKE10N sticks in my mind, was a pale blue 1.6 Mk3 Cortina with round headlamps and a black vinyl roof. It was the first brand new car I, my school mates or anyone in our street had encountered. Caused quite a stir the day my dad came home in it.
He refused to have company cars for some reason and chose to buy, presumably at a hefty discount, hard to shift stuff in odd spec or "interesting" colours.
He bought a new car every 2 years for the entire time he worked at Haynes, so probably 15 or 20 in total. When he retired, Haynes gave him....... a 35mm camera. My mum was disgusted and it still rankles with her now, years later.
I`ve got a vague recollection of seeing Barry Sheene in the showroom once, I think his bike was on display for some reason.
It’s not got a two digit plate, sadly. Out of interest does your Capris reg sport a 2 digit number?
Many of the cars my old man had from Haynes were, ones I can recall were GKE10N, XKO88S, GKL77Y.
GKE10N sticks in my mind, was a pale blue 1.6 Mk3 Cortina with round headlamps and a black vinyl roof. It was the first brand new car I, my school mates or anyone in our street had encountered. Caused quite a stir the day my dad came home in it.
He refused to have company cars for some reason and chose to buy, presumably at a hefty discount, hard to shift stuff in odd spec or "interesting" colours.
He bought a new car every 2 years for the entire time he worked at Haynes, so probably 15 or 20 in total. When he retired, Haynes gave him....... a 35mm camera. My mum was disgusted and it still rankles with her now, years later.
I`ve got a vague recollection of seeing Barry Sheene in the showroom once, I think his bike was on display for some reason.
That’s appalling and very sad, that all they gave him was a camera.
Just one reason I would never work for anyone else.
Edited by neutral 3 on Thursday 25th February 10:01
aeropilot said:
My understanding was cars unsold at dealer stayed unsold at dealers, and the 50 Aus bound cars were those sitting waiting for a dealer to fulfil an order.
There were 65 odd RS dealers so, even many dealers sold more than one, a few probably struggled to sell one.
I don't know if every one of the 65 dealers were 'forced' to take at least one, or whether it was down to each dealer to decide to buy one in from Ford for dealer stock/demonstrator. I suspect the latter.
Given the few sequential number plates around its clear than some dealer probably ordered in 3 or 4 off the bat for dealer stock, registered them and then tried to sell them over the course of the next 6 months.
Ford probably took the decision to send the 50 cars from central stock, to reduce the amount left over, as its clear from the number of N-reg cars around, that there were quite a number being sold new on 1st Aug '74, and later in '74 the 50 that were sent in July, they were not the last lot of cars left unsold.
This is all from 30+ year ago memories of conversations with Denis Sellars, and his database of dates first registered etc.
It’s likely that Haynes sold more than 1 car.There were 65 odd RS dealers so, even many dealers sold more than one, a few probably struggled to sell one.
I don't know if every one of the 65 dealers were 'forced' to take at least one, or whether it was down to each dealer to decide to buy one in from Ford for dealer stock/demonstrator. I suspect the latter.
Given the few sequential number plates around its clear than some dealer probably ordered in 3 or 4 off the bat for dealer stock, registered them and then tried to sell them over the course of the next 6 months.
Ford probably took the decision to send the 50 cars from central stock, to reduce the amount left over, as its clear from the number of N-reg cars around, that there were quite a number being sold new on 1st Aug '74, and later in '74 the 50 that were sent in July, they were not the last lot of cars left unsold.
This is all from 30+ year ago memories of conversations with Denis Sellars, and his database of dates first registered etc.
My one was registered on March 18th 74, to its first owner.
No idea if he lived in Kent, but guessing he did.
I need to look @ a Census from the 70s, but I think ? One needs an Address for that ? As it’s not by name ?
Is Dennis Sellers around still ?
aeropilot said:
Not within RS3100 circles, no (I presume he's still with us though, but it's nearly 30 years since I last saw him - so he'd be in his late 60's now). Dennis took over the Registrar role in around 1983, from the original RS3100 Registrar, from 1980 to then being Mick Lower, who was the owner of the ex-press car NHK 281M, he gave up the role when he sold NHK.
Dennis worked for a RS dealer at the time, Thomas Motors of Blackpool, so had inside info as well.
All his data though was passed down the line to all the subsequent RS3100 Registrar's in the club, so I would hope the data hasn't been lost, just added to over the years, as any unknown cars details came to be known. Plus of course there will be details of cars that perhaps are no longer around as well.
Interesting stuff ! Dennis worked for a RS dealer at the time, Thomas Motors of Blackpool, so had inside info as well.
All his data though was passed down the line to all the subsequent RS3100 Registrar's in the club, so I would hope the data hasn't been lost, just added to over the years, as any unknown cars details came to be known. Plus of course there will be details of cars that perhaps are no longer around as well.
I do recall his name, possibly when I was trying to buy the rotten red one in Loughton in 82 / 83.
MXRod said:
Did Haynes have a branch on the A20 near Sidcup in the mid/late 70s .If so that is where my Mexico came from . But I do remember getting a gas flowed head and various other tuning bits from Haynes early 70s
It would have been on what is known as the 5 ways Junction , there was the Crossways Pub. which became Mc Ds and is now a Premier Inn .
Ring any bells ?
Guessing that they were one of the first “ Rally Sport “ Ford dealers. Their web site mentions their branches on it. I grew up in East London, so never knew deepest / darkest Kent. It would have been on what is known as the 5 ways Junction , there was the Crossways Pub. which became Mc Ds and is now a Premier Inn .
Ring any bells ?
I’m going to try get hold of a few copies of Motor and Autocar, from Feb / March 74, to see if they advertised in it and if my White RS3100, is in their advert.
grumpy52 said:
A Haynes of Maidstone livery car is still competing in Historic Rallycross.
Are Haynes still very big in farm vehicles?
I used to see their service vans about all over the south when I was on the road .
Website says agriculture. Same as a one time Essex Ford Are Haynes still very big in farm vehicles?
I used to see their service vans about all over the south when I was on the road .
Main agents.
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