H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan - Triumph Car Dealer 33

H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan in 1937

In this article H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan are the feature business. Starting out in 1891 with bicycles, in 1902 the firm started dealing with De Dion, Humber and Minerva cars. The first car sold was a Humber 2 1/4. As time passed the number of sales increased and the company acquired more showroom space.

1922 saw H H Timberlake Limited selling AC, Albert, Autocrat, Austin, Arrol Johnston, Beardmore, Belsize, Calcott, Calthorpe, Crossley, Delage, Hammond, Hodgekiss, Horstmann, Humber, Hupmobile, Overland, Rover, Singer, Sunbeam, Swift, Vauxhall and Wolseley.

By 1937 H H Timberlake had 3 car showrooms with space for about 250 cars.  In addition they had  another showroom big enough for 100 motorbikes.  Employing over 50 men, the firm also had workshops and parking.

H H Timberlake Ltd MG dealership advert from 1934

H H Timberlake advert from Motor 05 September 1956

H H Timberlake - Standard Vanguard III advert from 1956

The 12tht to 16th December 1960 saw a week long Show and Service Week promotion by the firm at their Library Street, Wigan premises assisted by staff from Standard Triumph HQ.

Mr H H Timberlake

Mr Timberlake was a very active businessman involved in many different firms.  He acted as a director of several motor car related companies elsewhere in England.

Land Rover dealer

Timberlakes sold Land Rovers.  This advertisment is from a Wigan local newspaper and dates from 1966.

Old shop front

old H H Timberlake shop front

An old H H Timberlake shop front was revealed when a successor business on the site ceased trading and the premises were made available to let.

Associated business

H H Timberlake Limited are listed in the Hattons (Southport) Limited company accounts for year to 30 September 1975 as a subsidiary.  There are 5 other companies: Hattons (St Helens) Limited, Hattons (Burnley) Limited, Hattons (Wigan) Limited, Dentons Green Garage Limited, Whitesides (Southport) Limited.

Baldwin Timberlake

Baldwin Timberlake of Wigan forecourt view

 A unusual photo of a Triumph Dolomite going up the steps to a TSB bank branch.

Newspaper advert

Triumph car dealers in Wigan

I have extracted this information from my collection of Triumph car dealer directories.  Did the Wigan area really not have an Austin Rover dealer in 1988 or 1991?

April 1951:
H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan. 

1955: H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer

1959, August 1961:
H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer
M & H Motors, Round House Garage, Whelley.

Feb 1965
H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer

September 1968
Cherry Croft Garage, Wigan Lane
K & M Liptrot (Garswood) Ltd, Garswood Garge, Garswood
H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan. 

March 1972
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, Wigan
Cherry Croft Garage, Wigan Lane

March 1974
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan
Cherry Croft Garage, 49 Wigan Lane, WN1 2LF

May 1975
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan

April 1979:
Baldwin Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan

March 1988
no AustinRover dealer?

May 1991
no Rover group dealer?

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan please get in touch. I would like to see any photos you may have. I can be contacted via the comments to this post or on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.weblin

Further information and sources

Link to the other articles in this series.

Link to my Triumph Car Dealers Flickr gallery of images I have found on Flickr.

I have a collection of Standard Triumph car dealer directories: http://vitessesteve.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/triumph-car-dealer-directories.html

Picture credits:Timberlakes LandRover advert1966 fromWiganWorld; H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan in 1937 fromWiganWorld; H H Timberlake - Standard Vanguard III advert from 1956 from Historyworld website; old H H Timberlake shop front from photobucket;