Lankesters - Triumph Car Dealers 91

Lankesters is the feature business of this article number 91 in my series about Triumph car dealers. 

Lankesters advert Motor 22 June 1974

The Swallow Doretti was sold by Lankesters.

Lankester Engineering Co Ltd, Surbiton - Swallow Advert Autocar 29-10-1954

During World War 1 Lankester Engineering Co Ltd, Kingston were employing 20 females for war work involving mine sinkers, 18 pounder shells,, base plates, keys for aero engines and general fittings.

Where was Lankesters based?

Lankester Engineering Co Ltd often just called Lankesters had garages at:
Lankester (Leatherhead) Ltd, Woodbridge Service Station, Woodbridge Corner, Leatherhead;
80-83 Victoria Road, Surbiton;
39-43 Eden Street, Kingston and
New Malden.

Triumph Dealers in Kingston-on-Thames

October 1955:
Distributor
Lankester Engineering Co Ltd, 39-43 Eden Street. 'Phone 3151
Dealers
Bell's Service Garages, 144 London Road. 'Phone 1185.
Bentall's Service Garage, Wood Street. 'Phone: Kin 1001
Surrey Car Co. Ltd, 44 Richmond Road. 'Phone:. Kin 6340
Wilcox Automobiles Ltd, High Street. 'Phone: Kin 1858 and 7193

Triumph Dealers in Surbiton

October 1955:

Fox & Nicholl Ltd, Kingston By-Pass Road. 'Phone Derwent 1122
Blue Star Garages Ltd, The Broadway, Tolworth. 'Phone Elmbridge 0048/0049
Lankester Engineering Co Ltd, 80-83 Victoria Road  'Phone Elmbridge 1185

St Christopher Badge

Rear window stickers

Lankesters of Leatherhead sticker

Lankesters British Leyland distributor

Dealers used to stick adverts in the rear windows of cars that they sold.  The top image here is for "Lankesters of Leatherhead" The second sticker from during the British Leyland era shows the group had several premises.

On Bus adverts

Lankesters on Bus advert01

These old bus photos show that Lankesters used to place adverts on the buses. The image above shows ad advert on the rear of a double decker bus.

Lankesters on Bus advert02

 This image is said to be from December 1974 and shows an advert onthe rear of a single decker bus.

At Surbiton 1959

This photograph was sent by Lankester Engineering Co Ltd to the Standard Triumph Review and shows their Surbiton Branch It shows Mr Malcolm Howard Radley, a well·known local architect, taking delivery of his specially finished TR3.  The colour was British racing green lined in white with
a white hood, blade side curtains and interior trim. The car was fitted with many extras including special lighting, Halda speed pilot, wood rimmed steering wheel, safety harnesses, etc.

Lankester Engineering Company went to some trouble to get the registration number M.500. M. being Mr. Radley's first initial, The number must have been first issued many years earlier.  Mr Radley was a keen rally driver and a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

In the photograph, left to right, are: Mr P K R Lankester, Sales Manager, Lankester Engineering Co, Ltd., Mr M Howard Radley; and on the other side of the car. Mr W G Staniford and Mr D M Willis, both of Lankester Engineering Co. Ltd.

Distributor to Jack Braham Motors

It was reported in the December 1959 edition of the Standard Triumph Review:

RACING Motorist Jack Brabham recently received a Standard Triumph Dealership for his new business, Jack Brabham Motors Limited, Chessington, Surrey. His Distributor is Lankester Engineering Ltd.

Our picture shows Roy Salvadori, on the left, signing the visitors' book; Mr A C L Mills, Standard-Triumph Regional Sales Manager, and Jack Brabham.

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 Eden Street, Kingston-on-Thames premises: 3 to 7 July 1967.

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Lankesters 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: Lankesters of Leatherhead sticker posted to flickr by ; Lankesters British Leyland distributor photo posted to flickr by Andy Campbell; Lankesters on Bus advert01 from the red-rf.com website; Lankesters on Bus advert02 posted to flickr by Steve Guess;