Saturday, December 28, 2019

Herts Motors (St Albans) Ltd - Triumph car dealers 93 part2

This is a follow up to my earlier general post about Herts Motors (St Albans) Ltd.  This part 2 is from the Standard Triumph Review December 1964 and is about the building of their new premises.
Panoramic view of the workshop and bodywork
area inside the new centre.
Standard-Triumph's one hundred distributors in Britain form the important link between the manufacturer and the dealers and motorists. If the link is to be strong, the distributor must have the space and facilities to deal with three major items - new car distribution, sales and vehicle service and repair.

Herts Motors Ltd., whose new premises at Acrewood Way, on the Hatfield Road, St. Albans, were opened last month, have paid special attention to these points and now occupy a 20,000 square feet maintenance and repair depot embodying the most modern design and construction systems.

The building itself is novel. It was completed in a period of about 20 weeks, and incorporates a workshop, spares department, covered car storage area, and administration block. Flexibility has been
carefully considered, for the building is ideal for expansion. If need be it can be extended lengthways and departments rearranged to meet future demands.

Supplied by Butler Buildings (U.K.) Ltd, it has a clear span of 120 ft. with no internal supporting columns and is 160 ft. long by 16 ft. to the. eaves. The portal design ensures a clean internal appearance and the low roof pitch of 5° ensures a minimum amount of waste space.
Mr. G. H. Turnbull, director and general
manager of Standard-Triumph International
Ltd., cuts the tape to open the new premises.
Assisting him is Mr. Stephen Clark, managing
director of Herts Motors.
The building is covered, both walls and roof, with Butler's own unique metal sheeting, fixed to the structural members by lock rivets. It has triple protection to help it defeat time and the elements, 'the
last barrier being a finish of thermosetting acryillic rolled on to the metal while in its flat state.

Colour is guaranteed against fade for five years, and tested insulation ensures warmth for those working inside.

As all structural members and sheets arrive on site pre-cut and drilled, erection time is kept down to a minimum, Herts Motors premises taking only four weeks and being the first to be used by a company
distributor in Britain as a distribution centre.

New cars are received and can be accommodated in a 3,000 square foot area set aside for car storage, and this covered area is heated in winter.

The service centre will enable pre-delivery checks to be made on about 1,000 new Standard-Triumph cars each year, and distribution to the 17 dealers served by Herts Motors accordingly will benefit.

The firm carries a comprehensive range of Stanpart spare parts, and roughly 1,800 square feet of space has been allocated for spares worth about £30,000.

Main repair and maintenance workshop covers some 10,800 square feet of floor area, and a balcony repair system has been incorporated.
One of the lifts used for car maintenance in
the service area. Mechanics are able to
work beside and underneath the car at the
same time.
Three car lifts have been ranged along one wall, and those enable a car to be lifted about six feet above the ground. The balcony system then makes it possible for mechanics standing on catwalks to work beside the car, while others work underneath.
The front elevation of the Acrewood Way
service department and workshops indicates
the lightness and airiness of the building.

Damaged vehicles will be dealt with in the bodywork section, and here Herts Motors have set a precedent in being the first Standard-Triumph distributors to install a low temperature stoving oven for enamel paintwork. A car can now have its new finish hardened against the elements similar
to the system used in the factory a process which greatly reduces the time needed for drying the paint.

The unit, made by Binks-Burrows Ltd, has been specifically designed for car refinishing, and its overall dimensions are 46 ft. long, 15 ft. wide and 12 ft. high.

The spray booth is constructed from mild steel galvanised panels folded to present a smooth unbroken surface inside, and it is 23 ft. long.
A low temperature oven provides baking
treatment and cuts down time spent on resprays.

Fitted directly on to the end of the spray booth is the low-temperature stoving oven, designed to stove at a temperature of 180°F.

Swing type doors are fitted at both ends of the unit, and a dry exhaust system gives complete renewal of contaminated air within the spray booth.

The oven is "indirect gas fired" and is suitable for material having a flash point below 73°F or cellulose.

A staff of about 50 will be employed at the new premises, and they will have the benefit of gas warm-air heating. The entire organisation will be controlled and supervised from administrative offices overlooking the workshop area.

Situated in an attractive wooded area every effort was made to retain the amenity of the site right from the start - the Acrewood Way centre has ample parking space at the rear and one side, and the reception area brings the visitor to the attractive glass, plastic and metal front of the building.

Considerable thought has been given to the comfort and convenience of customers. They are met in a light and warm reception bay, which is sealed off from the workshop by draught-trap double doors, and as the depot is some two miles from the centre of St. Albans, a free taxi service operates for customers who leave their vehicles for maintenance or repair.

Opening the premises, Mr. G H Turnbull, director and general manager of Standard-Triumph International Ltd, paid tribute to the enterprise of Herts Motors. Referring to the abolition of Resale Price Maintenance he said that firms like Herts Motors, with a thorough approach to service and with new and modern premises, would benefit most from the new trading conditions rapidly approaching.

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Herts Motors (St Albans) Ltd, 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 part 1 of Herts Motors (St Albans) Ltd - Triumph car dealers 93

Link to the other articles in this series.

Link to face book 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:All these images are from the Standard Triumph Review December 1964.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd - Triumph Car Dealers 94

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd is the feature business of this article number 94 in my series about Triumph car dealers.
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd rear window sticker
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd rear window sticker
Motor House Ltd, Westward Road, Ebley, Stroud held the Standard Triumph franchase for many years.  The first listing I have is from September 1968.  The last listing I have is May 1975.

I understand they opened as a Triumph dealer in 1964.  They company is still trading in Stroud.

The original Motor House Ltd, Westward Road, Ebley site has now built over by 90 houses.

Some old photos

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image01
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image01

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image02
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image02

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image03
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image03

Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image04
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd image04
These old photos were in a box at the garage and shown to Greg Mac whose Triumph 2500 was sold by Motor House (Stroud) Ltd.

Triumph car dealers in Stroud

April 1951: Triumph
Wicliffe Motor Co Ltd, Russel Street, Stroud

October 1955:
Cordwell's Garages Ltd, Ebley. 'Phone 264; Night, 89 and 35
H G Daniells, Valley Garage, Bowbridge. 'Phone 518
H E Steel Ltd, London Road. 'Phone 991

1959:
Cordwell's Garages Ltd, Ebley. 'Phone 264; Night, 89 and 35
H E Steel Ltd, London Road. 'Phone 991

August 1961:
H E Steel Ltd, London Road. 'Phone 991

September 1968:
Motor House Ltd, Westward Road, Ebley, Phone 2000
Steels Garage, Russell Street. 'Phone 991

March 1970, March 1972, March 1974:
Motor House Ltd, Westward Road, Ebley, Phone 2000/4919

May 1975: Triumph Rover and Land Rover
Motor House (Stroud) Ltd, Westward Road, Ebley, GL5 4SP Phone 045-424 9324/213

March 1988. May 1991:
Wicliffe Motor Co Ltd, Chestnut Lane, off Caincross Road GL5 3EW

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Standard Triumph car dealers in Stroud  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 face book 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: Motor House (Stroud) Ltd rear window sticker photo posted to facebook by Greg Mac; Motor House (Stroud) Ltd images 01, 02,03,04 all from Greg Mac

Thursday, December 12, 2019

T Shipside Ltd - Triumph car dealer

T Shipside Ltd had branches in Loughborough, Nottingham, Clifton and Newark.  I am collecting information about them what have you got?

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about T Shipside Ltd Standard Triumph dealer 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:

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Ltd - Triumph Car Dealers 30C

Macdonald's (West Derby) Garage Ltd are the subject of this short article another in my series about Triumph car dealers in the Liverpool area.

Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Ltd 1975
Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Ltd 1975
View of the garage on Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 9JJ.
Site of Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage in 2014
Site of Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage in 2014

A company called Macdonald's (West Derby) Garage Limited still exists. They started 03 Feb 1966. I think the firm is now acting as the landlord of the premises.

As of April 1995 there were 2 directors named V R McDonald and J G McDonald.

I can see from dealer directories that the firm were first listed in 1965 when known as Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage were listed again in September 1968, March 1970, March 1972 and March 1974 as Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Limited.

The building was later used by Link Motor Factors as can be witnessed by the ghost sign that on the wall in 2014.

Triumph dealers in Liverpool

The names and address details of Standard Triumph car dealers based in the city of Liverpool as listed in the various directories I have in my collection are shown in my post about C A Britten & Co (Liverpool) Ltd.

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about any of the Standard Triumph dealers in and around Liverpool including Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Ltd please get in touch. I would like to see 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/stephen.weblin

Further information and sources

Link to post about C A Britten & Co (Liverpool) Ltd

Link to post about J B Hepburn Ltd

Link to the other articles in this series.

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 credits: Macdonalds (West Derby) Garage Ltd 1975 posted to facebook by Vic Vinten;