C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd - Triumph car dealers 13

This article about C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd is number 13 in my series about Triumph car dealers.

A short history of C Allen and Son

C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd sold many marques of cars over the years including Alvis, Armstong Siddeley, Singer, Standard and Triumph cars.The firm was first established in Taunton Somerset.  The firm was a foundry, millwrights, engineering works involved in steam boiler and water pump making by 1874. Subsequently they opened branches in Plymouth and Bristol and started selling lorries and cars by 1924.

The company manufactured van and lorry bodies. In 1951 a mobile shop they made featured in Commercial Motor.

From Van to Mobile Shop - Commercial Motor 10 August 1951

C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd no longer trades and the company was dissolved March 1979.

C Allen recovery truck

C Allen & Sons Ltd garage forecourt image 01

C Allen & Sons Ltd garage forecourt image 02

These two photos were recently posted on facebook Ed Coldrick who seems to have a knack at finding great images of old garages. I believe it is a Singer van and that the recovery truck may be a cut down Armstrong Sidderley.

The Allen Trial

The Allen Trial is sporting car trail organised by the Bristol Motor Club.  You can read more at: http://bristolmc.org.uk/the-story-of-the-allen-trial/ ..the Allen Trophy was first presented to the club in 1938 by Mr Dennis Foot on behalf of the local Armstrong Siddeley agents, C. Allen and Co. Ltd., the pre-war events were more social than sporting. We therefore take the first post-war Allen on 6th July 1946 as the first Allen Trial....

Triumph warranty document AKD8020

Triumph warranty document AKD8020 rear - C Allen and Son Ltd

This interesting document shows a dealer address stamped card found amongst the papers included with his Triumph Toledo by somebody whose details have lost.

Not just Triumph cars

A comment from facebook by Alan Cain Various makes were sold by the Bristol branch of C. Allen & Son Ltd between 1929 and 1976 - at 159 Whiteladies Rd until 1945 then Berkeley Square from 1946 - 76. They were a dealer for Armstrong Siddeley from 1929 until 1960, Triumphs were for sale up until 1976

Dealer address and street views

C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd, Berkeley Square BS8 1HZ are listed as a dealer in 1955, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 1975. The firm also had premises on 159 Whiteladies Road and Gloucester Road.

C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd, 159 Whiteladies Road showroom 1937/38

Now

Site of C Allen and Son (Bristol) Ltd, Whiteladies Road showroom  July 2015

Further information and sources

If you have any more information about this garage, photos of window stickers, dealer badges or sill plates etc please let me know.

Click here to read my blog post about College Motors another Bristol Triumph dealer.

Link to a fuller list of Standard Triumph car dealers in Bristol.
 
Link to the other articles in this series.

Link to my Facebook page: Triumph Car Dealers.

Link to my Triumph Car Dealers Flickr group .

I have a collection of Standard Triumph car dealer directories: http://vitessesteve.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/triumph-car-dealer-directories.html

Picture credit: From Van to Mobile Shop - Commercial Motor 10 August 1951 image from the Commercial Motor archive website. The Whiteladies Road garage 1937/38 from FAC 51 on Flickr; C Allen & Sons Ltd garage forecourt images 01 and 02 originally posted to facebook by Ed Coldrick.