old garages

[SteveG]

So what you are basically saying my Woody is a Stewart & Ardern ?

[petom]

With reference to Pete's entry re Kennings, York Road, Doncaster.

I left London in 1972 and joined Kennings Doncaster as a trainee salesman in the September. The General manager was Graham Bland, the Sales manager was Harold Walker and my two sales colleagues were Steve Halkon and Nick Boyle. All retired (or dead now).

I was on £20 per week for eight weeks and then commission only.

The first car that I sold was a new Morris 1300 to a guy in Barnsley, he spoke broad Yorkshire and I was a Cockney. Heaven only knows how we did the deal! He paid £750 in cash.

The dealership had a petrol forecourt at the front and you were served by two good old guys wearing peaked hats and white overalls.

We were the Morris, Austin, Wolesely and MG dealers and Jacksons in Frenchgate, about half a mile away were the same.

My first company car was a Mini 850 finished in Limeflower and I had to wait until I had completed 20 sales to get it, it took about two months.

Boy did we have some fun in those days! I bought my first house further up the York Road near the greyhound stadium later that year for £3100! and worried about the repayments of £29 per month. Crikey at that price you'd put it on a credit card today.

I left in 1978 to work for a competitor but returned in 1984 as the Sales manager before transferring to Kennings Ford dealership on Eccleshall Road Sheffield in 1986.

Sorry, Pete, I have no photographs but they are all still there in my head.

[Dean]

Hello

i know what kind of a good source of info people on this forum have, so one of the best places to ask.

i am trying to trace the garage that sold my car from new.
on the heritage certificate its says: H.J Croft Limited, Kendal.

does that ring any bells to anyone.

i did some searching and found this

"AUSTIN
MORRIS
ROVER
Sales and Service
-------
H.J. CROFT Ltd.
KENDAL & WINDERMERE
Tel 188"

as found it was 84-92 Highgate.

i managed to find this old add, which is from around 1912



but it would be great to hear from someone who remembers the garage. has more info etc would be great

so if you can help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated

thanks dean

[nick@dunsdale]

sorry not related but i remember three digit local phone call's showing may age now lol

[rich@minispares.com]

sorry not related but i remember three digit local phone call's showing may age now lol

my dad still had a three digit phone number right up to the mid 1990's

[foxy52]

sorry not related but i remember three digit local phone call's showing may age now lol

my dad still had a three digit phone number right up to the mid 1990's

...that must of been a very rural addr... we were Renown 3964 (The London Alpha System before all Numbering.. circa 1951 onwards !!! lol... foxy52

[paul1275s]

Wow, they were multilingual...

[Andrew1967]

Came across these pictures in a local magazine a few days ago. Both garages long since gone.

[Pete]

Mark, can we morph this into the 'Old Garages' thread?

Nice clippings Andrew,a very early Elf there, indicators look different?

[Andrew1967]

Mark, can we morph this into the 'Old Garages' thread?

Nice clippings Andrew,a very early Elf there, indicators look different?

Doh...sorry Pete and Mark, should have looked further down the thread list

Johnstons was there when the 'Great' was still in Yarmouth

[FCV.66]

Bringing the 'Old Dealerships' topic back into this 'Old Garages' thread, as suggested by Pete, the line up of cars in the last post of Old Dealerships, which included the early Riley Elf, seems odd. The write-up at the bottom of the picture dates it as April 1961. The Riley Elf was introduced in October 1961, furthermore, the series of 'HEX' registration letters, were introduced by Great Yarmouth, in May 1962. Pete, you said the side lights on the Elf seem odd but I think it is simply a reflection of light on the outer edges of the side grilles which makes them look strange.
Garry.

[FCV.66]

Further to my previous post, the registration HEX 25 is still current and on a BMW; the other registrations in the picture are not registered at DVLA - (yes, I know, but it's raining and I'm bored and want to go outside and play with my bike and cars!!).
Garry.

[Andrew1967]

Garry,

Guess the date must have been recorded wrong or something.

Have to say that I thought the date was odd as well as without research in one of my books, I thought the Elf/Hornet was introduced later than April 61.

Interesting about the date issue of HEX registrations.

The article mentions that when REX was being used, there was much schoolboy anticipation of the issue of the next letter series and there was disappointment when it was issued TEX

Andrew

[minitravellerman]

Anyone any pics or details of Bordon Motors Ltd in Hampshire? Just being curious after finding an old dealer plaque in the garage (which I have added to the for sale section if anyone is interested in it)

[Red Mist]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I came across this rather cool site earlier.

http://www.vintagegarage.co.uk/garage%2 ... photos.htm

[bmcman.ie]

neill, i used to live behind the garage in the main picture, when i lived in kent, england, its the tollgate garage at gravesend on the old A2 dual carriageway before it became the M2 motorway, ah, it brings back memories!. ian.

[billycooper]

Hello

i know what kind of a good source of info people on this forum have, so one of the best places to ask.

i am trying to trace the garage that sold my car from new.
on the heritage certificate its says: H.J Croft Limited, Kendal.

does that ring any bells to anyone.

i did some searching and found this

"AUSTIN
MORRIS
ROVER
Sales and Service
-------
H.J. CROFT Ltd.
KENDAL & WINDERMERE
Tel 188"

as found it was 84-92 Highgate.

i managed to find this old add, which is from around 1912



but it would be great to hear from someone who remembers the garage. has more info etc would be great

so if you can help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated

thanks dean

Hi Dean,

I worked in this dealership from 1978 till 1986 when it closed, HJ Croft had long gone, and when I started it was Dutton Forshaw, but in the same place, the showroom on the main street, its still there, its been a clothes shop and now a coffee shop, I still live in the same town and I have pics going back quite a bit, ill get them sorted for you, if you car was registered up here, i presume is either an EC or JM reg number ?

Steve

[Dean]

yes your right my car does start with jjm.

any old photos would be great , it would be really helpful

thanks dean

[billycooper]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/

Just loaded up 4 pictures on Flickr, This is Highgate in Kendal, still pretty much the same to this day, you can see in the first two, clearly the Crofts name, the third when I was there in the 80s when it was Dutton Forshaw and Unipart and then the final picture round the back, in the rear showroom down the alley.

Ill see if i can find anything else for you, yep JJM that will have been most definatly a Kendal car, i think in the first pic the car parked outside is JM

[billycooper]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Hig ... c91a80b9b8

The main showroom, is where "zoo" is on google maps, you can see on the door entrance "motors for hire" , the alley to the left is where the second showroom was, now flats, and " Hollywood nails " used to be the workshop entrance, hope this of interest to you Dean.