Friday, September 30, 2016

Car Park Garage Ltd, Melton Motors and Colmore Depot of Leicester - Triumph Car Dealers 17C

Here is another short article about Triumph dealers in Leicester. This is number 17C in my series of blog posts about Triumph car dealers.

Car Park Garage Ltd

Car Park Garage Limited
Built into a multi storey carpark on Lee Circle Leicester Car Park Garage Ltd are listed as a Triumph car dealer in 1955 until 1972. In 1955 they are listed as being at Byron Street. Other brands were sold and serviced from the premises over the years. In 1966 they were selling Jaguar cars.

Commercial Motor 29 October 1948 reported.

"The Car Park Garage Ltd., Lee Street Car Park, Byron Street, Leicester. Telephone: Leicester 23635. Twentyfour-hour service for practically all needs. Stock of Albion spares, and general stores. Large enclosed park under, constant supervision."

Car Park Garage Ltd sill plate
Car Park Garage Ltd sill plate
This sill plate is fixed to Triumph Spitfire owned by Roy Newitt. He believes that his car was the first Spitfire sold in Leicester.
Triumph Spitfire owned by Roy Newitt.
Car Park Garage of Leicester advert from 1963
Car Park Garage of Leicester advert from 1963

Melton Motors

Melton Motors, Melton Road, Leicester

The only record I have found to date about Melton Motors is a report in the Standard Triumph Review from August 1966.

"The forecourt staff at Melton Motors, Standard-Triumph dealers in Leicester, were not discouraged when the vehicle bringing guests to the official opening in June did not require oil,petrol or air. They did, however, supply water to the thirsty horses which had pulled the 1870 London horse bus from Leicester Station to the Melton Road site. Melton Motors is part of the Victor Britain Group, and the new garage and filling station was officially opened by the Earl of Lanesborough, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire."

A notice of a meeting to report on process of the liquidator appointed to Melton Motor Holdings Limited was published in the London Gazette dated 30 December 1969. The company does not feature in any of the directories I have.

Colmore Depot


Before the second world war in 1939 Colmore Depot were selling Triumph cars from a garage at Frog Island. Colmore Depot are listed in April 1951 as being at178 Belgrave Gate but by October 1955 are no longer listed.

Dealers address info

For more info about some other Leicester Triumph car dealers: Newton Baker Limited see my earlier post,
or Walter E Sturgess and Sons Limited.
 
For more info about Triumph dealers in Leicester see my post about H A Browett & Co Ltd were listed as the distributor for the area.

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 the other articles in this series.

Link to my facebook Triumph Car Dealer page.

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

You can download a copy of the Triumph Sales and Service Directory 1968-69 which started me off on the search for info about Triumph car dealers.

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

Picture credits: Car Park Garage Ltd sill plate + Triumph Spitfire images by Roy Newitt;  Car Park Garage of Leicester advert from 1963 shared by Jonathon Callow on facebook.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Walter E Sturgess & Sons Ltd of Leicester - Triumph Car Dealers 17b

This is short article about Walter E Sturgess & Sons Ltd of Leicester is number 17b in my series of articles about Triumph car dealers.

Walter E Sturgess & Sons Ltd have a long history in Leicester. The business was founded in 1897 as a bicycle maker. They have held the Land Rover franchise for many years and at the time of writing are still selling Land Rover group products..

Walter E Sturgess & Sons Ltd, Walnut Street, Leicester
Here is a photo of their Walnut Street building that I have extracted from a video of the company history that you can see on their website.
SturgessI nvoice Letterhead
SturgessI nvoice Letterhead

Dealers address info

In 1955 in addition to the distributor H A Browett & Co Ltd there were 7 other dealers in the city including:
Newton, Baker Ltd., 36 Western Road.

In 1968 in addition to the distributor H A Browett & Co Ltd there were 6 other dealers in the city including :
Newton, Baker Ltd, 36 Western Road.

In 1974 in addition to the distributor H A Browett & Co Ltd there were 2 other dealers in the city including :
Walter E Sturgess & Sons Ltd, Walnut Street, LE2 7GS who had taken over Newton Baker in 1971.

In May 1975 the firm are listed as operating from two sites in Leicester. 115 Aylestone Road, LE2 7GS with Parts at 170 Walnut Street, LE2 7GS.

For more info about Newton Baker Limited see my earlier post.

For more info about Triumph dealers in Leicester see my post about H A Browett & Co Ltd were listed as the distributor for the area.

Plea for more information


If you have any more information or recollections about any of Leicester Triumph car dealer businesses, 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 which includes many photos of Standard Triumph garages etc from my collection and many other contributors .

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

Picture credits: The garage image was captured from the company website; the badge was found on eBay; Sturgess Invoice Letterhead photo posted to Flickr by Jonathan.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Cranmore Bros, Birmingham - Triumph Car Dealers 23A

Cranmore Bros, 467 Hagley Road - Standard Triumph car dealer
Located at 467 Hagley Road, Birmingham Cranmore Bros at the time of this photo (from the Geoff Thompson archive) in November 1956 were dealers for Austin, Morris, Rover, Standard, Triumph, Vauxhall and Wolseley cars. They also had premises at 4 Anderson Road, Edgbaston from where they are listed as selling Land Rover products in April 1950.

They are listed in my 1955 Triumph car dealer directory but not in 1959 so must have lost the Standard Triumph franchise sometime after 1956 when the photo above was taken.  I understand that a Majestic Wine Warehouse was built on this site between Bearwood Road and Barnsley Road. The pub in the distance is the New Talbot.

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 my earler article about the All Electric Garage 

Link to my post about P J Evans Ltd

Link to the other articles in this series.

Link to facebook 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: The Geoff Thompson archive.