Ford dealer directories 1987 and 1995

[kevins]

many manufacturers are also copying Tesla and moving to direct on line sales, when the manufacturers are only making 1 or 2% profit and the dealers at least 5% you can see why the manufacturers see this model as tempting.

[sierraman]

I think direct selling can only be a good thing if it gets rid of the dreaded salesman in the dealers. The problem is the slimy bastards would move on to something else like phone shops or selling solar panels. 

[Dobloseven]

57 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I think direct selling can only be a good thing if it gets rid of the dreaded salesman in the dealers. The problem is the slimy bastards would move on to something else like phone shops or selling solar panels. 

Serious question.Have you actually been in a main dealer and spoken to a sales person this decade? Because in my experience,they don't actually seem that bothered about selling cars.In the past,yes, they'd be trying to pin you down for a sale,but seems totally different nowadays.A while back I called in at the local Skoda dealers.Interested in a Kodiaq.Sales guy said he was busy and the only car they'd got in was the one he was using.Gave me the keys and told me to have a look.It'd got his child's car seat and his lunch in it.Had a good look,gave him the keys back and thanked him.No follow up or anything.Called in at quite a few places and similar experience.Happy to let you have a look,but no real sales talk.Perhaps a softly softly approach works better.It is annoying if someone is stood over you,making out they're you new best friend.

[sierraman]

34 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Serious question.Have you actually been in a main dealer and spoken to a sales person this decade? Because in my experience,they don't actually seem that bothered about selling cars.In the past,yes, they'd be trying to pin you down for a sale,but seems totally different nowadays.A while back I called in at the local Skoda dealers.Interested in a Kodiaq.Sales guy said he was busy and the only car they'd got in was the one he was using.Gave me the keys and told me to have a look.It'd got his child's car seat and his lunch in it.Had a good look,gave him the keys back and thanked him.No follow up or anything.Called in at quite a few places and similar experience.Happy to let you have a look,but no real sales talk.Perhaps a softly softly approach works better.It is annoying if someone is stood over you,making out they're you new best friend.

Yes actually. I went with my old man into Vauxhall at Chesterfield. The lad he was speaking to was a fly by night fucker, other interactions were at a place, the name escapes me but it might have been the Car People. Folks used to knock Daewoo but they were the first to have a no commission/no pressure platform, the model should be you’ve a guide and someone to demonstrate IF you need it. Not some grease ball asking you your wife’s name or about your job/dog/blood group etc. 

[Richard_FM]

I remember Gordon Ford had a few showrooms in & around Stockport, including a small one at the Texaco in Marple.  This was rebuilt in the 1990s & stopped being a dealership.

 

[Dobloseven]

On 07/11/2025 at 22:15, sierraman said:

Yes actually. I went with my old man into Vauxhall at Chesterfield. The lad he was speaking to was a fly by night fucker, other interactions were at a place, the name escapes me but it might have been the Car People. Folks used to knock Daewoo but they were the first to have a no commission/no pressure platform, the model should be you’ve a guide and someone to demonstrate IF you need it. Not some grease ball asking you your wife’s name or about your job/dog/blood group etc. 

When I bought the Rexton from the local Stellantis place last year,the guy I dealt with couldn't have been more pleasant.Respected the fact that having looked into buying one a few years previously,I knew much more about them than he did.Gave us the keys and told us to go for as long a drive as we wanted, it'd got plenty of fuel.Happy to let me prevaricate for a few days,with only one very polite follow up call.Handled the somewhat dodgy part exchange very well too.Chatting with him, he'd been a chef in a previous life.Do wonder about these big places though.There seemed to be a lot of folk sat behind desks staring idly at screens.

[Richard_FM]

6 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

When I bought the Rexton from the local Stellantis place last year,the guy I dealt with couldn't have been more pleasant.Respected the fact that having looked into buying one a few years previously,I knew much more about them than he did.Gave us the keys and told us to go for as long a drive as we wanted, it'd got plenty of fuel.Happy to let me prevaricate for a few days,with only one very polite follow up call.Handled the somewhat dodgy part exchange very well too.Chatting with him, he'd been a chef in a previous life.Do wonder about these big places though.There seemed to be a lot of folk sat behind desks staring idly at screens.

When I bought my NOS Micra in 2017 the staff member at the Stockport showroom tried to push me towards a brand new one, but the one in Altrincham offered me exactly what I wanted.  Both dealerships were in the same chain so it couldn't have been the training! 

[Eyersey1234]

Here are the dealers listed in North Yorkshire in the directory.

Easingwold Motors, Long Street Easingwold. No longer trading 

Geoff Bowes, Station Avenue Filey. Closed in the late 90s and the site is now flats.

MacKinlay Hyde Motor Sales 38 Redcar Road Guisborough. 

Crystal Ford Knaresborough Road Harrogate. Stoneacre now hold the franchise for Harrogate and though the postal address is Broughton Way its just off Knaresborough Road so possible it's on rhe same site.

Reliance Garage Station Road Helmsley. Still trading though lost the franchise in the early 2000s

W Hodgson and Son Kirkbymoorside. No longer trading and the site is now houses. I believe it was the sister garage of Reliance Garage at Helmsley 

Norburys of Malton. No longer trading 

Skipper of Northallerton. South Parade Northallerton. No longer trading 

North Riding Garages Pickering. No longer trading 

Nesham, Corporation Road Redcar. No longer trading 

Skipper, Queens Road Richmond. No longer trading 

Crystal Ford 30 North Street Ripon. No longer trading 

Crystal Ford Castle Road Scarborough. There is still a Ford dealer in Scarborough though it moved to Seamer Road by the mid 90s

Zetland Motor Company Windsor Road Saltburn by the Sea. No longer trading 

Trimoco Cars Deighton Road Wetherby. No longer trading.

G Jackson Silver Street Whitby. No longer trading. 

 

Of these only Harrogate and Scarborough still have a main Ford dealer with a service centre at Whitby.

[comfysofa]

I can vouch that Sandicliffe of Boston, Lincs is no longer with us, ditto Lewis and Kime a few miles up the road in Kirton, Ward of Wellingborough's site has long been a Sainsbury's and Charity shop and Raymond Mays in Bourne no longer trades. 

[Madman Of The People]

Here in the USA it’s the same story.

The nearest former Ford dealer to me is now a police station!

 

[Eyersey1234]

As an update to the East Yorkshire ones I learned today Richardsons of Driffield and Bridlington no longer sell new Fords now but will still be an approved repairer and sell Ford Approved cars

[Macscrooge]

On 05/11/2025 at 22:20, Split_Pin said:

Is Peter Hastie Motors in Crail listed? They must have been the smallest Ford Dealer in the UK. Where it once stood in the High Street is now a gap in the terrace and what was and the area behind through a rather snug archway which led to 2 petrol pumps is now flats.

I remember Peter Hastie!  In the mid ‘80s I had summer jobs delivering parts for ARG/Unipart dealer Saint Roques in Dundee.  

[Landy Mann]

On 05/12/2025 at 09:17, comfysofa said:

 Ward of Wellingborough's site has long been a Sainsbury's and Charity shop

York, ward and Rowlet are still big in the area, with Vauxhall, Peugeot, Fiat, Arbarth and leap motor franchises. Plus I think grosvenor leasing for that sweet used stock. 

[Cavcraft]

On 05/11/2025 at 10:58, sierraman said:

Inability to stump up for the training/equipment for EV’s is killing the smaller outfits off. They seem to either go down being a Ford Specialist a bit like Carters of Chapeltown or end up reduced to selling obscure nonsense like Ssanyongs or some off brand Chinese make. 

Or the insane demands by the makers for some mega expensive glass palace showroom every few years. I think my nearest Merc dealer is having a refit now, I bet that won't be cheap and it looked perfectly fine as it was.

[Eyersey1234]

I've just acquired a 1995 dealer directory and thought it would be interesting to compare the two, so I shall start with the Humberside area. By September 1995 the following dealers were listed.

Richardson Ford, Westgate Driffield and Hamilton Road Bridlington. Still have authorised repairer status and sell Omoda Jaecoo from Bridlington and GWM and Chery from Driffield 

Beverley Ford Beck View Road Beverley. Now Right Car, a Ford authorised repairer 

F Howard Long &Son 5-7 Eastoft Road Crowle, no longer trading and the showroom is demolished 

Davidsons Ford Rawcliffe Road Goole. Now part of Stoneacre, they still have authorised repairer status and sell new Geely cars

Hartwell Ford Corporation Road Grimsby. Still authorised repairers, Stoneacre have the new car sales franchise now

Nicholson Ford Thorn Road Hedon. No longer trading 

Sanderson Ford Hull on Holderness Road, Anlaby Road and Clough Road for trucks. Now part of Evans Halshaw, the Ford dealer is on Priory Park

Imperial Ford Stallingborough Road Immingham. No longer trading 

Hartwell Ford Station Road Scunthorpe. Still authorised repairer, Stoneacre has the new car sales franchise for Scunthorpe now.

Cottingham Ford Baynard Avenue Cottingham. No longer trading 

Winestead Garage Station Road Winestead. No longer trading.

R&RC Bond Pocklington. No longer trading. 

Smith Parkinson 6-8 Market Place Brigg. No longer trading 

 

So in September 1995 there were 16 Ford dealers within the Humberside area compared to 3 new car sales outlets now and 6 authorised repairers

[Eyersey1234]

The following dealers are listed in North Yorkshire in the 1995 directory

Easingwold Motors of Easingwold 

Geoff Bowes of Filey

Crystal Ford of Harrogate 

Reliance Garage Helmsley

William Hodgson & Son Kirkbymoorside 

Sanderson Ford, South Parade Northallerton. No longer trading.

North Riding Ford Pickering 

Simon Bailes Ford Richmond.  No longer trading 

Kingfisher Ford 30 North Street Ripon. No longer trading, traded as Lawtons Ford at one point then Ripon Ford before closure.

Crystal Ford Seamer Road Scarborough 

Lawtons of Tadcaster 

Thirsk Ford, now part of Stoneacre 

Polar Ford, Jockey Lane York. Now part of Stoneacre