Following on from Richs post about the Allen Green dealership, thought it would be cool to start a thead to share old photos or infomation about any UK dealerships.
8)
Robb wrote:
Great idea for a thread Rob, it has the potential to be really interesting. Not sure that I have any photos to offer, but I'd be really interested if anyone has any information about either Webbs garage in Romford, where my '57 was sold when it was new or Cowies of Coventry who were the suppliers of my '78'Cab.
My dad's '72 World Champion Beetle (which I still have) was originally supplpied by Windmill Garage in Crawley, it was a small VW Dealership that gave up their VW franchise at some point in the '70s, the building is still there and still has the original '70s Windmill Garage logo on the side wall.
In Worthing, our VW dealership for many years was West Sussex Motors, they still exist but gave up their franchise in the early 80s. though they carried on advertising themselves as VW specialists into the nineties, as did Empire Garage in Felpham.
I can remember Empire Garage having a clearout of Aircooled stock in the early '80s and I went along to see what they had. They had cleared all the aircooled specific parts into an out building and it was all on the floor in a big heap. I spent some time rummaging through it and picked up a few odds and ends - but would love to have the same opportunity now!
My Dad's VW Camper's (1961 Canterbury Pitt and later a 1964 Devon) were looked after in the 70's by Hooker and Roberts in Bedford, better known to the locals as Hookers and Robbers! The parts guy there got to know me quite well and would occassionally bring out some old stock that had been ordered in for a customer and then never collected. I got several useful bits for my 50s beetles that way.
Going back to the '50s, my Dad's brother and his wife each owned beetles starting off with a Split and then an Oval bought new I think from Cares Garage in Crowborough, although I am now wondering if he might have bought it from VFM on the basis that that is the dealership in Crowborough that supplied Rich's cab at about the same time? I went to Care's garage with my uncle in the '70s and I'm pretty sure it was a very small dealership, I'm not even sure it was officially VW at that point. Later on, when I had my own beetle I went there to see if they had any '50s stock on their shelves and was shown a lot of 30BHP engine parts, sadly I didn't buy any of them...
Again, great thread Rob! :thumbup:
Mike
July 1957 UK supplied RHD Oval. 1972 World Champion Beetle. 1978 UK supplied RHD 1303LS Cabriolet. 1973 UK supplied RHD 1303s.