Sidney Marcus Ltd - Armitage Walker Ltd - Triumph car dealer 87

Sidney Marcus Ltd later known as Armitage Walker Ltd of Marylebone London are the feature business of this blog post in my continuing series about Standard Triumph car dealers.

Sidney Marcus Ltd dealer advert Motor 21 October 1978

The company Sidney Marcus Limited started 30 April 1948 and continued in business until its closure in 1992 and eventually winding up by August 1997.  At the year end 1978 it changed its name to Armitage Walker Limited. 

Armitage Walker Ltd (Sidney Marcus Ltd) dealer advert Motor 20 October 1979

Armitage Walker Ltd dealer advert Motor 24 October 1981

Not just Triumphs

Sidney Marcus Ltd advert from Autocar 20 March 1969

Sidney Marcus Ltd sold Amphicar, BMC, Ford, Jaguar Daimler, Rover and Triumph cars.

Several locations

Sidney Marcus Ltd  had branches at: 24-28 Boston Place, Dorset Square, London, NW1 adjacent to Marylebone Station and at 31 Sloane Street, London SW1.

Armitage Walker Ltd also had premises at 9 Harewood Avenue NW1 and later at Dorset House, 128 Gloucester Place, London, NW1 5HA.

Listed as a Triumph dealer at 24-28 Boston Place in September 1968, March 1970, March 1972 and March 1974.

Jaguar Key Fob

Thought to be from 1981.  This key ring with a leather fob shows the Armitage Walker Ltd name and address.

Amphicar

Amphicar a sensation on land and water. Strictly speaking not a Standard Triumph product but of interest here the Amphicar used a Herald engine. Sidney Marcus Ltd, 33 Sloane Street, London SW1 were an  Amphicar dealer in 1959.

Barlett v Sidney Marcus

Ever wondered what condition a used car has to be in to be saleable.  In the legal case of Bartlett v Sidney Marcus, Lord Denning said that "merchantable" means of some use though not entirely efficient use for the purpose but that at some point, caveat emptor applies and there is no requirement of perfection. Before him was the issue of the merchantibilioty of a second hand-car which, he held, was reasonably fit for the purpose if in a roadworthy condition, fit to be driven along the road in safety, even though it was not as perfect as a new car:

"A buyer should realize that when he buys a secondhand car. defects may appear sooner or later; and. in the absence of an express warranty. he has no redress."

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Sidney Marcus Ltd or Armitage Walker Ltd of London 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.weblin

Further 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: