Botwoods of Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Wisbech - Triumph Car Dealer 38

This the 38th article I have written is about Botwoods Ltd a Triumph car dealer based in the east of England.

Botwoods was a part of the Mann Egerton group.

The Wisbech branch sold many brands of cars over the years including Austin, Austin Healey, Diamler, Jaguar, Standard Triumph and Rover.

Botwoods at Major's Corner, Ipswich were selling Jensen cars in 1965.

Week long Show and Service Week promotions were held by the firm at their Princes Street, Ipswich premises assisted by staff from Standard Triumph HQ were held 6th to 10th April 1959, 26th to 30th April 1965, 7th to 11th February 1966, 13th to 17th November 1967.

Show and Service Week promotion at Wisbech Motors Ltd, Norwich Road 11th to 15th July 1966

Origins

From this site: ipswich-lettering.org/egertons.html

"To find the source of the Egertons company name, we need to start with William Botwood's carriage making works in Woodbridge Road (between Kirby Street and Milton Street) established in 1870. In 1882 showrooms were opened in St Matthews Street. Botwood died in 1896 and the business was caried on by two sons, Samuel Ernest and William Thomas, who a few years later were joined by a pioneering motorist, Reginald Egerton. Until 1910 the motor car manufacturers Botwood & Egerton ran alongside the carriage-making firm until Egerton left to set up his own business in Northgate (Street) next to the Great White Horse Hotel. The Botwood company became Botwoods Ltd and in the 1920s the Botwood shares were acquired by Mann, Egerton & Co of Norwich who had by then expanded to the town end of Woodbridge Road/Majors Corner."

Police 2000

In December 1968 it was reported that Botwoods of Wisbech supplied 7 Triumph 2000 to Norfolk Joint Police Force for use in the country areas.  The police completed about 1000 miles a week. n the picture Mr J W Boardman of Botwoods branch manager is seen handing over the first 2000 to the police.

Some adverts

Mann Egerton + Botwoods Rover advert from 1964

Mann Egerton + Botwoods Austin advert from 1967

Botwoods, Norwich AstonMartin advert from May 1968

 

Dealer address info

1955:
Mann Egerton & Co Ltd, Fornham Road, Bury St Edmunds area dealer for Standard Triumph
Botwoods Ltd, 37 Princes Street, Ipswich distributor for Standard Triumph open 24 hours
W H Johnson & Sons Ltd, Church Terrace, Wisbech

August 1961:
Botwoods Ltd, 76 Risebygate Street, Bury St Edmunds distributor for Standard Triumph
Botwoods Ltd, 37 Princes Street, Ipswich distributor for Standard Triumph open 24 hours
Wisbech Motors Ltd, Norwich Road distributor for Standard Triumph

February 1965:
Botwoods Ltd, 76 Risebygate Street, Bury St Edmunds distributor for Standard Triumph
Botwoods Ltd, 37 Princes Street, Ipswich distributor for Standard Triumph
Wisbech Motors Ltd, Norwich Road

September 1968:
Botwoods Ltd, 76 Risebygate Street, Bury St Edmunds distributor for Standard Triumph
Botwoods Ltd, Greyfriars House, Princes Street, Ipswich distributor for Standard Triumph
Botwoods Wisbech, Church Terrace, Wisbech distributor for Standard Triumph
Wisbech Motors Ltd, Norwich Road, Wisbech

Mann Egerton of Bury StEdmunds rear window sticker

March 1972, March 1974 and May 1975:
Mann Egerton & Co Ltd, 76 Risebygate Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3AL distributor
Mann Egerton & Co Ltd, Greyfriars House, Princes Street, Ipswich IP1 1RX distributor
Mann Egerton & Co Ltd, Harecroft Road, Wisbech PE13 1RN

March 1988
Cowies, 76 Risebygate Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3AQ distributor
Henlys (East) Ltd, 255-257 Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, IP3 9BP
Marshall of Wisbech Ltd, 46 Norwich Road, Wisbech, PE13 2AR

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about this garage, photos of window stickers, dealer badges or sill plates etc please let me know.  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 face book page: Triumph Car Dealers.

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: Mann Egerton + Botwoods Austin advert from 1967 and Mann Egerton + Botwoods Rover advert from 1964 from Spottedlaurel on flickr; Mann Egerton of Bury StEdmunds rear window sticker and Botwoods, Norwich AstonMartin advert from May 1968 - Nivek.Old.Gold on flickr.