Car Dealers, Garages, Petrol Stations

Another cracker from CliffB and possibly another Ebay sale -

Great pic Neil Just look at those lights on top of the gate posts !!

As they've been mentioned on this thread. Does anyone have any images of this dealer? I don't think they were there long (I can't see them listed in the directories) -

Hi Neil et al, I have a 1972 Directory which I haven't shared with you, I don't have the energy to digitise it. But. . . it does have an entry for Rickards, Philip, Barras Heath Service Station, Mercer Ave., Tel. Coventry 52236. This helps with the timing but no images. There has been a long standing car sales and petrol station near to the junction of Coventry Street (before Mercer Avenue becomes Clay Lane), was the car sales Stuart Price? I know a chap called Entwistle had the petrol station for a while. Link https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/titanic-feat-of-model-making-3124569 I think this is the chap, no mention of Mercer Avenue, but I know he had links with the Potters Green business, a chap named Dave Cagey was prominent in the business too.

They were advertising in Union Street in 1961 to 1966. They are also advertising on London Road.

A lot of discussion on the Holyhead Road garages but haven't seen a mention of Godfrey Hall BMW which is a bit newer. I moved to Coventry in 1989 and remember walking past it into town in the era Godfrey Hall, the owner, used to race in the BTCC, and I seem to remember the race cars were prepared in a small garage on the site, with the doors being opened on hot days so you could see the cars.

Hi Andermt. 128 Holyhead Road is still a BMW dealership, It was taken over by Syntner.

C&E Motors were operating there in late 1970; my dad bought his new HC Viva from them at that time. He'd previously bought a new HA Viva from W. Brandish, in Whitefriar's Street, which was where I bought my new HB Viva SL (GKV697D) in November 1966.

Hi ChrisW, welcome to the forum.

C & E were Cross and Ellis who, pre war, were coachbuilders supplying bodies to all the major manufacturers in the 20s and 30s. They had premises in Stoke row, I believe.

My sister Jeanne worked in their offices in the 60's. I have a keyfob somewhere ?? - 'Stoke Park Service Station'

Anyone remember the old Henley's garage on the corner of Broad Lane and Jobs lane? Brings me back to my younger days. Think it closed down in about 1980 and was abandoned for a long time before new houses got built.

Was it Alvis back in the day when I went to Woodlands in the mid 60s?

Hi Changy, welcome to the forum

I remember it well. My dad had an old Rover P5 in which I learnt to drive, so we went there occasionally. I think there was a parts dept. At my dad's work, a colleague had a big car (probably BLMC) that had some odd gearbox fault. She took it to Henleys who, back in those days when a pound was worth something, said "phooarr, we'd have to take the gearbox out and strip it down before we even knew what was wrong, that's a big job etc....". They quoted her something like £120. As she was about to drive away, a mechanic approached her, and handed her a piece of paper with his name and address on it. He said "bring it my my house on Sunday morning and I'll do it for £10 cash". Which he did within an hour. He knew it was a common fault. Turns out you merely lift the carpet inside the car, remove an inspection cover on the side of the gearbox, then replace a small nylon part which was prone to wear.