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| Somerset Motors delivery truck 1956 |
Showroom alterations
Alterations to the original showrooms of Standard-Triumph Distributors Somerset Motors Ltd, Corporation Street, Taunton, give the company the position of having the largest single covered car sales area in the territory. The new showrooms have only one central pillar so that, even with the frameless sliding glass doors closed, there is a clear, uninterrupted view of the cars on show. The fascia is finished in green Cumberland stone with the pillars of local Somerset stone. Behind the showrooms is a flight of steps leading to another showroom of 6,000 sq. ft. which has a rear entrance 60 feet wide through which customers may drive their cars.
Vitesse "Bears" Inspection
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| Triumph Vitesse "Bears" Inspection |
It proved to be no picnic when a Teddy Bear theme was chosen by Somerset Motors for a display in their Corporation Street Showrooms, Taunton, recently. The attractiveness of the display brought hundreds of children to peer through the windows, and an equally large number of grown-ups took interest in a Vitesse Convertible in which a 5ft. high Teddy Bear occupied the driving seat and a "team" of smaller Teddies carried out a thorough "examination" of engine, exhaust system, bonnet cover, speedometer, etc. The display became so much of a talking point that it is on record that holiday makers returning from Devon and Cornwall also made a point of calling at the showrooms to take a peek themselves. We thank Somerset Motors Sales staff for the headline - after all it was their idea!
First electronic tester in Somerset
Somerset Motors were the first business to install such equipment in Somerset. Mr A G Wilson, the managing director, introduced the equipment to guests. Mr J Bushnell, managing director, of Crypton Equipment was also present.
A demonstration of the test bed by Mr A Turnbull, sales director of Crypton, showed how cars were driven onto the set of rollers and the engine was connected to the brain of the equipment. While the car is driven by remote control the operator could apply a water brake to the rollers to simulate the extra load of driving up hill. Dials showed both speed and power. The test rig included a fault reporting facility.
Not just Taunton
The company had premises in several towns. In March 1972 they operated Triumph garages:Somerset Motors Ltd, Sandpits Hill, Langport
Somerset Motors Ltd, Fore Street, Williton
Somerset Motors (Yeovil) Ltd, Osborne Garage, Sherbourne Road, Yeovil which was also listed in March 1974 and May 1975. Were a BMW dealer in 1979.
Somerset Motors (Yeovil) Ltd was incorporated 7 February 1952 under the name W Sparrow & Sons Limited. The company name was formally changed 12 December 1966. However I have photos showing the company trading as Somerset Motors from as early as March 1956 The company has been dormant since 4 January 1992.
Triumph car dealers in Taunton
April 1938:Marshalsea Bros, 1 Fore Street
April 1951:
Somerset Motors (1927) Ltd, Corporation Street
October 1955:
Distributor
Somerset Motors Ltd, Corporation Street
Dealers
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| County Garage (Taunton) Ltd invoice 26 November 1956 |
J Redding & Son Ltd, T/A Pearse's Garage, Rowbarton
Silver Street Motor Works, Silver Street
1959, August 1961:
Distributor
Somerset Motors Ltd, Corporation Street + stores at Wellington Road
Dealers
County Garage (Taunton) Ltd, 2 Priory Avenue
Rex Brothers Motors Ltd, Priory Bridge Road
Silver Street Motor Works, Silver Street
February 1965:
Distributor
Somerset Motors Ltd, Corporation Street + stores at Wellington Road
Dealers
County Garage (Taunton) Ltd, 2 Priory Avenue
Silver Street Motor Works, Silver Street
September 1968, March 1970, March 1972, March 1974, May 1975 :
Distributor
Somerset Motors Ltd, Corporation Street
June 1984:
Wadham Stringer (Taunton) Ltd
March 1988:
Mount Street Garage, Mount Street, Bishop's Lydeard TA4 3ND
Wadham Stringer, South Street TA1 3AF
Tin plate toy
Somerset Motors wireless manufacturer
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| Wireless cabinet made by Somerset Motors |
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| Supplied by Somerset Motors |
Show and Service Week promotion
Staff from Standard Triumph HQ visited the business and assisted the firm with week long Show and Service promotions. These were held by the firm at their Corporation Street premises: 12 to 16 October 1959 and 13 to 17 May 1968.Plea for information
If you have any more information or recollections about Somerset Motors of Taunton such as 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.weblinFurther information and sources
Link to the other articles in this series.Link to facebook page: Triumph Car Dealers.
Link to my Triumph Car Dealers Flickr group which includes many photos of Standard Triumph garages etc from my collection and many other contributors .
I have a collection of Standard Triumph car dealer directories: http://vitessesteve.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/triumph-car-dealer-directories.html
Picture credits: County Garage (Taunton) Ltd invoice 26 November 1956 image from an article: http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/county-garage.htm; All the other photos are from my collection.
