Car Dealers, Garages, Petrol Stations

How about some memories of erstwhile motor dealers/garages? Anyone remember: Old Road Garage, Allesley Old Rd, by the Maudslay Hotel Coventry Garage, Rootes main dealers, in Holyhead Road Parkside Garage, Rover dealers, in Warwick Road Blamires in Queens Road (Vauxhall) C & E Motors Parkgate Motors in Parkgate Road (Rootes) Old Road Garage was an Aladdin's cave of parts for old cars. I was sent there as an early-teenager many times to fetch spares for my dad's Humber Super Snipe, and I don't think I ever came back without what was needed. I had driving lessons from Parkside. I bought a Singer Chamois from Parkgate; reg EHP48C (wonder if it's still around?) probably the most unreliable car I ever had! And Coventry Garage! They had a Humber Pullman in once, as a trade in. They discovered a dull patch on the rear of the roof, so they repainted it. It rapidly went dull again. Than someone had a feel inside the headlining, and discovered sharp points. So they stripped the paint. It had been backed into something, and the large dent repaired with several laths screwed on with self-tappers, and plastered over. They weren't amused at having an expensive repair to do before they could sell it on!!

Was there a company called Newsomes (Rootes Group cars) on the 'Highway' at the junction with Leamington Road? I seem to recall my father buying a Hillman Minx estate in August 1955 from them. I too had a Singer Chamoix FHP 741C, colour maroon. heavy on tyres I recall.

Rugby Autocar? Wheatley Street or Ford Street. Ford dealers.

Can't remember the name but there was a garage in Providence street that sold NSU's with the rotary engine, as I remember, in the late 50's early 60's

Yes, I remember it too, but I can't recall the name - and I owned a 1968 NSU TT for a time! I bought it from the NSU dealer in Bedworth, though, in 1971. Went like stink, but it was a bit unreliable. Foleshill Garage sold VWs.

Newsome's (Sammy Newsome) sold Standards, they became main agents for Standard - Triumph, and I can remember the first Triumph Herald exhibited in their showroom as a bare chassis in 1959. The Chamois wore its front tyres at a rate of knots! Swing-axle suspension. Knocked out its PTFE kingpins likewise. Mine burned oil at under 200 MPP too; and when I stripped the engine, I discovered swarf left under the rear bearing cap. The week before I sold it, the speedo stopped working. The cable had rusted up, and the whole thing went around in the floor. Eventually the plastic sheath wore through, as did the grommet, and the wire cut through, hooking in the underlay mat, from which it tore a big piece, and then jammed completely. Took me 8 hours to change it. A stupid arrangement leading to an almighty struggle when it came to replacing it.

Wasn't C&E Motors on the corner of Fletchamstead Highway & Sir Henry Parkes Road, where Homebase now is?

In the time when I knew it, yes (don't know about Homebase though). In earlier times it was in town; I can't remember where now, but they made a lot of bodies for Alvis (along with Charlesworth and Carbodies of Coventry, and Mulliner (Birmingham Mulliners?) and many more like Gurney, Hooper and so on. They ceased making bodies after WWII, and took on a Vauxhall main dealer franchise.

Ref Keith Leslie - C & E Motors - Vauxhall Garage - This firm was the end of the line from the prewar firm of Cross & Ellis. They were 'trade' coachbuilders and did indeed, as has been mentioned, build bodies for Alvis and others. I have an Alvis car and the coachbuilders plate says Cross & Ellis, Clay Lane, COVENTRY. Don't know where Clay Lane is/was? The coachbuilding firm went out of business in 1938 and the last bodies built there for Alvis for their Speed Twentyfive tourer cars were unfinished, wood frames only. They were sent round to Charlesworth Motor Bodies at Much Park Street for panelling and finishing.

There was a Triumph Dealership in "Orchard Street" called would you believe Orchard Garage! Not far off the main drag that runs past the Memorial Park heading towards Kenilworth. Percy Blamires, that always had "posh" cars I seem to remember, Mr. Blamire kept his own plane at Baginton and used to take part sucessfully in air races!! When you think back to the size of the likes of The Parkside, Bridge Clock, Newsomes, Rugby Autocar, big employers in those days, lots of "apprentices"!!, remember them?

Talking of garages does anybody remember the small petrol forecourt on the Tile Hill Lane just down from the Newlands, I think there were only two pumps selling Cleveland fuel. Regards.

Correct me if I am wrong but was the garage mentioned closed because of some kind of contamination in the ground?

Moving to more recent times it's amazing how many petrol stations have disappeared over the last few years in Coventry. The ones I'm thinking of are: 1. Shell on Tile Hill Lane 2. Shell on Broad Lane 3. Esso on Broad Lane 4. Was it a Q8? on the corner of Holyhead Road and Grayswood Avenue 5. Shell on Holyhead Road where the Mini dealer is now 6. Shell on the Allesley old Road I'm sure theres a load more - supermarkets seem to have really made an impact.

This pic also supplied by Colin of Radford Garage. now

The BLUE STAR Garage and a workshop behind, occupied by Alec Farr who was a car body repair specialist. He eventually moved to Lythall's Lane. Behind his workshop there were some 40 or so lockup wooden garages.