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| Clark & Lambert door sill plate |
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| Clark & Lambert Ltd Triumph 2000 1970 advert |
A short history of Clark & Lambert
The workshops and stores were on the upper level at Clark & Lambert, and entered and exited via steep, spiral concrete rampways from the ground level. It's fair to say they were 'interesting' to drive up and down, and the walls bore the scars of various vehicles that had bounced off them, including our own Caffyns Minor van!---said boxofbits from the TR Register. |
| Clark & Lambert -Trinity Place Garage |
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| Clark & Lambert - Trinity Place Garage before and after |
The firm is also listed as a Land Rover dealer in 1950.
Trinity Place Garage advertised their car parking in 1950.
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| Fleet order of Heralds supplied by Willetts through Clark & Lambert |
Show and Service Weeks
Factory staff visited the Trinity Place branch on several occasions to assist the branch with special promotional Show and Service Weeks over the years including 2nd to 6th March 1963 and again between 24th and 28th May 1965. A further Show and Service took place during the week 8th to 12th January 1967.Clark & Lambert invoice
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| Clark & Lambert Ltd invoice dated 16 September 1957 |
Former Cinema converted to showroom
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| Mrs. M, Lambert, Fyfe Robertson, the Mayor of Eastbourne, and Mr. M. Lambert, Director and a founder of the firm, at the opening ceremony |
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| Clark & Lambert Ltd Eastbourne new 1965 showroom exterior |
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| Clark & Lambert Ltd Eastbourne new 1965 showroom interior |
Herald fleet order
Dealers address and other Eastbourne Triumph dealers
In the 1965 Triumph Service Directory listing for Eastbourne:Clark & Lambert Ltd, Trinity Place Garage. 'Phone 4660. Distributor
Cornfield Garage Ltd, 21 Cornfield Road. 'Phone 2244. Dealer
Willetts (Eastlbourne) Ltd 85/87 South Street. 'Phonc 2384 Dealer
In 1968/69 only Clark & Lambert are listed for Eastbourne.
In the 1974 the listing the firm is still listed at Trinity Place Garage as a distributor but the name has changed to Clarke & Lambert (Prop. Caffyns Ltd) to reflect the business being bought by Caffyns in 1970.
Plea for information
Have you got information or recollections about Clark & Lambert Ltd? I am looking for photos of window stickers, dealer badges or sill plates etc. I can be contacted via the comments to this post or on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TriumphCarDealersFurther 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: Views of the garage building Grenville Godfrey on Flickr; Door sill plate photo from David Bowers; Trinity Place Garage advert from gracesguide.com; other images from the Standard Triumph Review.
I worked in the ‘stores’ (parts department) at Clark & Lambert for 2 or 3 years until the day it closed, and recall the following:
ReplyDeleteAs already mentioned, the showroom (former cinema) was on the left side (as you faced the building) and I think the floor above was used for storing sales banners and promotional material.
To the right of this was the main entrance, where you could drive in and up the ramp, or turn right to the petrol pumps – yes, these were inside! At the back of the ground floor was the Cash Office, and to the right of the exit were offices for the manager and his deputy.
The ramp curved up through 90 degrees to the first floor which had offices for the Service Manager and his foreman, a staff room and several workshop bays.
The ramp continued up to the second floor where the stores was, the lubrication bay with a 4-post lift and 3 or 4 other workshop bays. Also kept on this floor was the Land Rover tow truck (I think a 1966 D-reg Series 2a) and the parts van. This was a Morris Marina, which I used on occasion to collect tyres from Caffyns’ tyre depot at 520 Seaside (currently Lidl).
They dealt with Rover and Jaguar as well as Triumphs, and would also service other makes. The ramp was wide enough to take a Mk X Jag and had a narrow pavement for pedestrian staff, though there was also a stairwell in one corner.
Hi Pete, it's Steve Moon, I remember the showroom ramp well.
DeleteWorked there for twelve years, great fun. Ironically I had to go to Steve Adams funeral yesterday, not sure if you knew him?
Hi Steve, sorry to hear about Steve Adams, yes I did know him then. Weren't there 2 guys with that name, or was it him and yourself worked together?
DeleteI have a triumph Dolomite 1977 1500 HL auto with clark and lambert door plate before LTD.
ReplyDeleteA most interesting history of not only Clarke and Lamberts but also of the dear old "Classic" cinema. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDoes the Dolomite 1977 1500 HL auto with clark and lambert door plate look like the one shown in this blog post?
ReplyDeleteI served my apprenticeship at Clark & Lambert. 1972-1977. Service manager was Ron Baker. Very happy memories
ReplyDeleteIan Legate
Hi Ian, it's Steve Moon..
DeleteWorked there the same time as you, twelve years, almost until it closed.