H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan - Triumph Car Dealer 33

H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan in 1937

In this article H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan are the feature business. Starting out in 1891 with bicycles, in 1902 the firm started dealing with De Dion, Humber and Minerva cars. The first car sold was a Humber 2 1/4. As time passed the number of sales increased and the company acquired more showroom space.

1922 saw H H Timberlake Limited selling AC, Albert, Autocrat, Austin, Arrol Johnston, Beardmore, Belsize, Calcott, Calthorpe, Crossley, Delage, Hammond, Hodgekiss, Horstmann, Humber, Hupmobile, Overland, Rover, Singer, Sunbeam, Swift, Vauxhall and Wolseley.

By 1937 H H Timberlake had 3 car showrooms with space for about 250 cars.  In addition they had  another showroom big enough for 100 motorbikes.  Employing over 50 men, the firm also had workshops and parking.

H H Timberlake Ltd MG dealership advert from 1934

H H Timberlake advert from Motor 05 September 1956

H H Timberlake - Standard Vanguard III advert from 1956

The 12tht to 16th December 1960 saw a week long Show and Service Week promotion by the firm at their Library Street, Wigan premises assisted by staff from Standard Triumph HQ.

Mr H H Timberlake

Mr Timberlake was a very active businessman involved in many different firms.  He acted as a director of several motor car related companies elsewhere in England.

Land Rover dealer

Timberlakes sold Land Rovers.  This advertisment is from a Wigan local newspaper and dates from 1966.

Old shop front

old H H Timberlake shop front

An old H H Timberlake shop front was revealed when a successor business on the site ceased trading and the premises were made available to let.

Associated business

H H Timberlake Limited are listed in the Hattons (Southport) Limited company accounts for year to 30 September 1975 as a subsidiary.  There are 5 other companies: Hattons (St Helens) Limited, Hattons (Burnley) Limited, Hattons (Wigan) Limited, Dentons Green Garage Limited, Whitesides (Southport) Limited.

Baldwin Timberlake

Baldwin Timberlake of Wigan forecourt view

 A unusual photo of a Triumph Dolomite going up the steps to a TSB bank branch.

Newspaper advert

Triumph car dealers in Wigan

I have extracted this information from my collection of Triumph car dealer directories.  Did the Wigan area really not have an Austin Rover dealer in 1988 or 1991?

April 1951:
H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan. 

1955: H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer

1959, August 1961:
H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer
M & H Motors, Round House Garage, Whelley.

Feb 1965
H H Timberlake Limited as area dealer

September 1968
Cherry Croft Garage, Wigan Lane
K & M Liptrot (Garswood) Ltd, Garswood Garge, Garswood
H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan. 

March 1972
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, Wigan
Cherry Croft Garage, Wigan Lane

March 1974
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan
Cherry Croft Garage, 49 Wigan Lane, WN1 2LF

May 1975
H H Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan

April 1979:
Baldwin Timberlake Limited, Wallgate, WN3 4EE, Wigan

March 1988
no AustinRover dealer?

May 1991
no Rover group dealer?

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about H H Timberlake Limited of Wigan 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:Timberlakes LandRover advert1966 fromWiganWorld; H H Timberlake Limited, Library Street, Wigan in 1937 fromWiganWorld; H H Timberlake - Standard Vanguard III advert from 1956 from Historyworld website; old H H Timberlake shop front from photobucket;

Hattons (St Helens) Ltd - Triumph Car Dealer 32

Hattons (St Helens) Ltd

Hattons (St Helens) Ltd are the feature business in this article. I was sent this image of a Hattons showroom for Austin, Rover Standard, Triumph car and commercials. Initially I had thought this business were based in Southport but subsequent research has shown that Hattons do not appear to have ever held the Standard Triumph franchise in Southport so I conclude this must be an image of Hattons (St Helens) Ltd.

Hattons, Prescot Road, St Helens advert in Autocar 18 Oct 1957

The Hattons business was established in Southport. Hattons (St Helens) Ltd were incorporated as a company 1 July 1953 and traded from Prescot Road, Tollbar. The business was dissolved 10 November 1992. It has since been reinstated but is dormant and not trading.

Hattons (Southport) Ltd

An old advert said to date from sometime between 1928 to 1935 according to njam52 from whose collection it appeared on the Southport.GB.com forum.

They did have the garage at the corner of Hartwood Road and, Roe Lane. I understand they ran the first licensed taxi's in Southport, "White Tops" They were allowed eight licenses. Pre-war The cars were Morris Eights. Black bodies with cream tops.

They bought Whitesides Garages Ltd and used their 6-16 Roe Lane premises.

Hattons on the corner of Leicester Street and Lord Street

Seeds trade directory

In Seeds
1924-25: Hatton Bros, motor car agents of Imperial Garage, Leyland Road also 1 York Road.

In 1924-25 and 1927 the proprietor is listed as Mr Harold Hatton living at 101 Windsor Road

1927-28: Hatton Bros Ltd automobile agents and engineers 665-7 Lord Street.

1933-34: Hatton Bros Ltd, motor agents & engineers, 4 Hulme Street tel 4437,64a west street and 665-7 Lord Street.

1955: Hattons (Southport) Limited, 93-95 and 655 Lord Street motor showrooms, Hartwood Road and 6-16 Roe Lane service, 30 Gordon Street car park.

Associated business

In the Hattons (Southport) Limited company accounts for year to 30 September 1975 there are listed 6 subsidiary companies: Hattons (St Helens) Limited, Hattons (Burnley) Limited, Hattons (Wigan) Limited, Dentons Green Garage Limited, H H Timberlake Limited, Whitesides (Southport) Limited.

In the Hattons (Southport) Limited company accounts for year to 31 December 1986 there are listed 3 subsidiary companies: Hattons (St Helens) Limited, Suttons of St Helens (Autoparts 1982) Limited, Whitesides (Southport) Limited.

Triumph car dealers in St Helens

To follow.

Plea for more information

If you have any more information or recollections about Hattons (St Helens) Limited 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: Hattons on the corner of Leicester Street and Lord Street appeared in The Southport Vistor; An old advert said to date from sometime between 1928 to 1935 from the collection of njam52;

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.

Frank Grounds Ltd -Triumph Car Dealers 23B

This article in my series about Triumph car dealers features Birmingham dealer Frank Grounds Ltd.

Frank Ground Ltd letterhead

Frank Ground Ltd, 186-88 Lichfield Road, Aston, Birmingham which I am told it is near the Aston railway station.  Listed in both the 1955 and 1959 Standard Triumph dealer directories.

Frank Grounds Motor Services Lichfield Road

Long established as coach builders and hauliers the company started out in 1894. The firm had showrooms on Lichfield Road from which they sold many makes over the years including Morris, Morris Commercial, Hillman, MG, Standard, Wolseley and Ford. They also had bodybuilding, trimming, painting and repair departments.

Standard Vanguard phase 1 estate

Standard Vanguard Pick Up by Frank Grounds

Plea for information

If you have any more information or recollections about this garage, 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 a post about All Electric Garage .

Link to my post about P J Evans Ltd

Link to post about Cranmore Bros Ltd

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: All pictures including the Frank Ground Ltd letterhead are from Robert Grounds on flickr.