Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd - Triumph Car Dealers 52

Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd Road Atlas cover

Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd are the feature business of this article - number 52 in my series about Triumph car dealers.

Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd Road Atlas

Dunns as distributor 

Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd were the distributor for Standard Triumph cars in their area (County Durham excluding Gateshead) for many years and would have supplied vehicles to other garages in their territory. They operated from two premises in Sunderland Wheatsheaf Corner and Roker Avenue.

Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd advert from Autocar 23 Oct 1953

Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd advert from Motor 5 September 1956

Dunns Garages RoverTriumph advert 1973

As at September 1956 the dealers supplied included.

• AUNGERS LTD, Newcastle Road, CHESTER-LE-STREET
• C R BRADLEY & SONS (Blackhall) Ltd, Coast Road, BLACKHALL
• T COWIE LTD, Millfield, SUNDERLAND 
• MOTOR SERVICES (Consett) LTD, Medomsley Road, CONSETT
• MAIN ROAD GARAGE (East Boldon) LTD, Ashbrooke Terrace, EAST BOLDON
• MILL GARAGES (Sunderland) LTD, Newcastle Road, SUNDERLAND
• J McINTYRE & SONS, 83 New Elvet, DURHAM
• REG. ROSSITER, South End Garage, CROOK
• F ROUNTHWAITE & SONS, JARROW, HEPBURN and TYNEDOCK
• WILLIAM SKILBECK LTD, Cliff House Garage, SEAHAM
• J. F. STROTHER & SON LTD, Holmeside, SUNDERLAND
• R. & J. SMITH, Pallion Road Garage, SUNDERLAND
• SYDNEY SPARROW LTD, Four Lane Ends, HETTON-LE-HOLE
• STREAMLINE GARAGES (South Shields) LTD, 93 Mile End Road, South Shields

By May 1975 they were listed as being distributors for the Rover, Triumph and Land Rover franchises in Sunderland. Became a part of the Dutton Forshaw group. The garage premises at 53-6 North Bridge Street have been demolished and block of student flats (called Dunn House) now stands on the site.

Dunns Garage Street Scence 1950's

Thanks to Gary Flinn for this copy of a 1950's street scene that includes Dunns Garage. I think this shows 53-6 North Bridge Street.

Roker Avenue

Dunn's Garage (Sunderland) Ltd, 190/198 Roker Avenue

2017 google streetview of former Dunns building

Thanks to John Scarr for his comment: "building formerly Dunn`s garage and showroom in Roker Ave. Showroom windows now bricked up as Tile Giant.  Small island with pumps used to be at the front left corner. Workshop entrance was down George St to the left.  Roller shutter doorway, (now also bricked up) was where the blue car is standing."

Dunns of Sunderland branches

Dunns of Sunderland advert Motor8January1964

Dunns of Sunderland had several premises in other towns including at; Deans Road, South Shields; Gilegate, Durham and at Durham Road, Herrington

Triumph Dealers in Sunderland

April 1951:
Binns Ltd, Union Street, Sunderland
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Wheatsheaf Corner

1955
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Wheatsheaf Corner. 'Phone: Sales 57666; Service 57067.
+ dealers
R J Smith, Pallion Road Garage. 'Phone 3303.
J F Strother & Son Ltd, Holmeside. 'Phone 4597.
Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Newcastle Road. 'Phone 58225

1959:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 53-6 North Bridge Street. 'Phone: 57666/7
+dealers
T Cowie Ltd, Matamba Terrace phone 70491
Grimshaw Leather Ltd, Mayfair Buildings, Burnpark, Durham Road, phone 2623
Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Newcastle Road, phone 58225, and Ryhope Road phone 57631
J F Strother & Sons Ltd, 41 Holmside phone 4597
W Veti Ltd, Station Road, Fulwell phone 4029

August 1961:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 53-6 North Bridge Street.
+dealers
T Cowie Ltd, Matamba Terrace
Grimshaw Leather Ltd, Mayfair Buildings, Burnpark, Durham Road, 
Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Newcastle Road, and Ryhope Road
Mowbray Motors Ltd, Ryhope Road
J F Strother & Sons Ltd, 41 Holmside 
W Veti Ltd, Station Road, Fulwell 

February 1965:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 53-6 North Bridge Street.
+dealers
T Cowie Ltd, Matamba Terrace
Grimshaw Leather Ltd, Mayfair Buildings, Burnpark, Durham Road, 
Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Newcastle Road, 
W Veti Ltd, Station Road, Fulwell

September 1968:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 53-6 North Bridge Street.
+dealers
T Cowie Ltd, Matamba Terrace,
Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, Newcastle Road, 
Seaburn S S, Station Road, Fulwell

March 1972:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 190/198 Roker Avenue.
+dealers
T Cowie Ltd, Matamba Terrace, Millfield

March 1974, May 1975:
Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd, 190/198 Roker Avenue, SR6 0BW
+ a branch at Gilesgate Moor, Durham

March 1988:
Distributor - Dutton Forshaw Sunderland, 23 Roker Avenue SR6 0BX
Dealer - Warwick Garage, Warwick Terrace, Silkworth
+ Dutton Forshaw Durham, Sunderland Road, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2HL

Delivery transporter

Dunns of Sunderland Delivery Truck February 1960

Dunns of Sunderland, Standard-Triumph Distributors, had their own transporter. It looked very bright in the firm's colours of black and chrome yellow with the Standard-Triumph insignia in blue and white. Here is an reproduction label in the brands black and yellow.

Standard Atlas

Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd Atlas advert the Sunderland Echo 1958

An Ambulance conversion of a Standard Atlas supplied by Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd to the Red Cross Society, Durham was shown in the Standard Triumph Review for January 1964.

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Dunns Garages (Sunderland) Ltd 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 .

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

Picture credits: Dunn's Garages (Sunderland) Ltd Road Atlas images from Steve Fenna Fenson on facebook; Dunns of Sunderland Delivery Truck February 1960 from Standard Triumph Review Feb 1960; dunns-garages-sunderland-motorcycles-dealer-decals-transfers from www.heortieg.com; Dunns Garage Street Scence 1950's - Gary Flinn; 2017 google streetview of former Dunns building John Scarr.

Berkeley Square Garages Limited of London - Triumph Car Dealer 46

Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, brochure dealer address stamp

This article is about Berkeley Square Garages Limited of London and is number 46 in my continuing series about Standard Triumph car dealers.

Berkeley Square London dealer address stamp on GT6 brochure

Car delivery

Berkeley Square Garages operated their own car delivery trucks as was the custom for car distributors.  The vehicles would have collected the cars from the factory and also have taken then to dealers in the distributors area.

New Herald Coupe delivery

Berkeley Square Garages Ltd STR April 1960

Mr. Michael Miles, the then famous T.V. personality, taking delivery of his new Herald Coupe was reported in the Standard Triumph Review in April 1960. Also in the picture are Mr C Saville, Sales Director, and Mr J Thomas, Sales Manager, of Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, London.

Corporate offices

It was reported in the Standard Triumph Review January 1962:

A new suite of modern offices in Berkeley Square, destined to become the headquarters of the Sales Organisation for the Leyland Group, were taken over by Leyland Motors Ltd. on December 4th.

The export division of the Company, which operated from Hanover House in Hanover Square for over ten years, made the first move to the new offices on December 4th. The southern regional sales staff of Leyland Motors Ltd. and Albion Motors Ltd. followed on January 1st, 1962, and some members of the sales staff of Standard-Triumph International will later move to the new premises.

The new offices take up the sixth floor of Berkeley Square House, which already houses the Standard-Triumph showrooms on the ground .floor. Except for executive offices and a combined
convention room and cinema, an open-plan arrangement has been chosen for the main offices.

The address is Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1 telephone : Grosvenor 6050, but the cable address remains unchanged at Leymotors, London.

New Triumph car adverts

Berkeley Square Ltd advert in Motor road tests 1969

 

Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, Triumph 2000 Mk2 1969 advert

Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, Triumph Herald 13/60 Convertible 1967 advert

Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, Triumph TR5 advert

Key Fob

Thanks to Phil Gunn on facebook for sharing these photos of a Berkeley Square Garages Limited stamped key fob.

Used car seller

Berkeley Square advert October 1977

As well acting as the flag ship new car showroom for the Standard Triumph group the garage sold used cars as well. This advertisement from October 1977 features both new and used Triumph Dolomites.

Berkely Square Garages 1976 window scene

Other branches and brands

Berkeley Square Garages Limited head office and main location was always at 7 Berkeley Square, London, W1X 6DJ. They had branches at:

• Vauxhall Bridge SE1,
• Castle Garage, Finchley Road, NW11
• Bye-Pass Motors, Toworth Roundabout, Kingston Bypass.

Bye-Pass Motors advert

The firm were appointed as dealers for Bond, Daimler, Jaguar, Rover and Rootes group in addition to Standard Triumph.

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Berkeley Square Garages Limited, 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 .

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

Picture credits:Berkeley Square Garages car delivery truck image from the Triumph Herald Estate fans page on facebook ;BerkeleySquare_October1977 from MarkWelshman on facebook; Berkely Square Garages 1976 window scene from John on flickr; Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, Triumph 2000 Mk2 1969 advert + Berkeley Square Garages Ltd, Triumph Herald 13/60 Convertible 1967 advert from Andrew Bone on flickr

More Triumph delivery photos - Triumph Car Dealers 31B

This is the 3rd part of my article about Triumph delivery lorries.

Spitfire delivery - TruckNet image

Triumph Spitfire delivery in bulk - a whole squadron.  All on board a Canley Car deliveries truck.  You can read more about Canley Car deliveries here. 

This Spitfire delivery photo has prompted much discussion when posted elsewhere. Quoting comments made Andrew S Mace: regarding the large whitewall tyres - "Only the earliest cars in the US would've had these. By the latter part of 1963, the typical optional Dunlop whitewall width had "shrunk" to a bit less than 1"!";
and later - "In a closer look at this photo, the anorak in me notices not only the "blanking" pieces in the headlamp assemblies. That was typical of many British and other European cars destined for the United States, where American-sourced sealed beam headlamp bulbs would've have been fitted. On the other hand, I also see amber front flasher lenses, where North American-spec. cars would have had white flasher lenses. So perhaps this batch of cars was destined for some other market where locally sourced headlamps were fitted, or a few cars destined for the US market did accidentally get the amber lenses. Most puzzling (well, at least to me)!"

A similar truck but this time with a mixed load.  A part of the Progressive Transporter group fleet.

Triumph racing cars on the way to LeMans on board a Carrimore Si-Wheelers Ltd delivery lorry.

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about Standard or Triumph deliveries, 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 post about Triumph car delivery in New Zealand 

Link to the other articles in this series.

Link to face book page: Triumph Car Dealers.

Link to my Triumph Car Dealers Flickr gallery of images I have found on Flickr.

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

Picture credits: Spitfire delivery and Six-Wheeler from TruckNetUk forum; 

Triumph Car Deliveries in New Zealand - Triumph Car Dealers 31A

Triumph 2000's on car transporter in New Zealand

Standard Triumph had a factory in New Zealand where they made Triumph cars.  To get the cars out to the dealers delivery lorries were used.  I have this photo from Andrew Newman on facebook which shows Triumph 2000 MkI's being taken off site by H Boyce & Co Ltd truck.

Triumph Mk2s and Princesses on car transporter in New Zealand

A much later shot showing Triumph Mk2s and Princesses. These would be cars assembled at Nelson (towards the north of the South Island) The Mk 1s in the other shot probably were assembled at the previous old Christchurch plant. The 2000s were far more successful sellers than the Princess, which sat around in large quantities awaiting buyers apparently.

General Foods fleet delivery New Zealand

This photo is said to be of a General Foods fleet delivery in New Zealand.

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about Standard Triumph car delivery in New Zealand or elsewhere please get in touch. I would like to see any photos you may have. 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 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: Triumph 2000 MkI's - Andrew Newman on facebook; Triumph Mk2s and Princesses - .Andrew Newman on facebook.

Canley Car Deliveries - Triumph Car Dealers 31

The 31st article in my series about Standard Triumph is a little different. Rather than being about the dealers who sold the cars in this post I will introduce the subject of getting the cars to the dealers.

 Canley Car Deliveries - getting cars away from the factory to the Standard Triumph dealers.

"Canley Cars first started trading as a company on 21 November 1945. Very small at the time it operated from a lock up garage in Kirby Rd Earlsdon. Expanding it moved to the old hostels in Duggins Lane in the early 50's, then to Burton Green, and again to behind C and E Motors (now Homebase). You can still see the original gates to Canley Cars in Canley Rd opposite the gun shop. In 1964 the company was sold on by its original owners." as originally posted 31 January 2017 by SteveR on the Historic Coventry Forum.

Many  distributors picked up cars from the factory using their own delivery vehicles. I have several photos of trucks operated by dealers that I will include in the next installment of this article.

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about any of the Standard Triumph car delivery lorries please get in touch. I would like to see any photos you may have. 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 my Triumph Car Dealers Flickr gallery of images I have found on Flickr.

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

Picture credits: SteveR on the Historic Coventry forum.