1988 Austin Rover dealer directory

[Eyersey1234]

Also recently purchased is a 1988 Austin Rover dealer directory, I thought it would be interesting to see what is on the sites of the dealers in this directory starting with the old Humberside area

APL Garages North Street Aldborough. No longer trading 

H Nightingale 38 Main Street Beeford. No longer trading. Now a housing development 

Armstrong Massey Barmston Road Beverley. No longer trading

Buckrose Motors Flamborough Road Bridlington. No longer trading 

Glacier Motor Company Grammar School Road Brigg. No longer trading 

Deans of Driffield 3-7 Queen Street. No longer trading, looks like part of the site is occupied by Iceland.

Dixon Rawcliffe Road Goole. No longer trading 

Grimsby Motors 415 Victoria Street Grimsby. No longer trading, the site is now part of a retail park

Charles Welpton The Square and The Wier Hessle. No longer trading, the original showroom was demolished some time in the 90s and they moved to a new purpose built showroom elsewhere in Hessle, after Rover went bust they switched to Chevrolet for a year or two before closing. The new showroom is now a Hyundai dealership.

Paul Dixon Car Sales Clarence Street Hull. No longer trading 

TC Harrison 130-140 Anlaby Road Hull. No longer trading  the building is still there occupied by several businesses including a taxi company, a fireplace shop and a fast fit centre.

Maple Garage Sproatley. The first one in the list that is still trading, they currently hold a KGM franchise and were a Daihatsu dealers amongst other franchises

Peter Green Motors Barton Street Keelby. No longer trading 

Armstrong Massey 1 High Street Market Weighton. No longer trading, the building has been used by various businesses, part of it has been empty for a number of years after the Asda, formerly Netto supermarket closed

Kenning Normanby Road Scunthorpe. No longer trading 

Phil Ledgerwood Ross Lane Winterton. The second on the list that is still trading, now deals in Morgan 

So of 16 dealers, 2 of them are still trading.

 

[grogee]

Rowstock of Abingdon is apparently a Nissan dealer now

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers on the Isle of Wight in 1988 were

Northwood Garage Newport Road Northwood, Cowes. Still trading now known as Leslie's, they are the Mazda and Kia dealer for the island having had a Honda franchise for a time in the 2000s, they got the Mazda franchise around 1987

Prices Garage Pan Lane Newport. Still trading as a car repairer

Westridge Garage 200 Great Preston Road Ryde. Still trading as a used car dealer having held various franchises at various times including Ford, Skoda, MG, Mitsubishi and Perodua.  They still held the MG Rover franchise for the island at the time of MGR collapse in 2005. They seem to specialise in VW Group products now

Cefro 178 Sandown Road Shanklin. No longer trading 

Chale Service Station, Chale,Ventnor. No longer trading 

Mill Road Garage Mill Road Yarmouth No longer trading 

 

[Dj_efk]

Maidenhead Area? I vividly remember my Mum driving her new Austin Maestro 1.3 HL out of Lex Austin-Rover in 1987, with me in the back!

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in North Yorkshire in 1988

Appleyard 91 Leeds Road Harrogate. No longer trading, now a M&S supermarket 

Brown,Bondgate Helmsley. No longer trading 

Robsons Motor Services 4 Welham Road Norton, Malton. No longer trading, now a LIDL supermarket 

H Yates & Sons Wintringham, Malton. No longer trading 

Wanes,Brompton Road Northallerton. No longer trading 

Nidderdale Motors Ripon Road Pateley Bridge. No longer trading 

Victoria Road Garage Richmond. Still trading as a petrol station 

Blossomgate Motors Ripon. Still trading as a car repairer 

Motorcity Seamer Road Scarborough. No longer trading 

Dixon,Flaxley Road Selby. No longer trading 

White Rose Garage Skipton. No longer trading 

Thorpe Willoughby Garage,Thorpe Willoughby Selby. No longer trading 

Ribblesdale Motors Settle. Still trading as a Jaguar Land Rover service centre

Thirsk Motors 199 Long Street Thirsk. No longer trading 

AW Champion & Son Central Garage Castleton, Whitby. No longer trading 

George Harrison 6 Upgang Lane Whitby. Still trading as a Ford Service centre 

Eyres Motorcity 130 Lawrence Street York. No longer trading 

FR Pulleyn Wigginton Garage York. Later became a Skoda dealer. No longer trading 

Wills and Ellis Poppleton Garage Upper Poppleton. No longer trading 

[Cavcraft]

Perhaps shiters from  the local area of any of the garages that get mentioned could post photos of how it looked as a dealer and how it is now?

[Eyersey1234]

1 minute ago, Cavcraft said:

Perhaps shiters from  the local area of any of the garages that get mentioned could post photos of how it looked as a dealer and how it is now?

Excellent idea Cavcraft

[Eyersey1234]

33 minutes ago, Dj_efk said:

Maidenhead Area? I vividly remember my Mum driving her new Austin Maestro 1.3 HL out of Lex Austin-Rover in 1987, with me in the back!

Lex is listed as 128 Bridge Road,Maidenhead,  looks like there is a block of flats on the site now

[Dj_efk]

Correct yes - long gone now.

Can't find a photo of it in the 80's but here it is in the late 70s - It was a RR/Bentley dealer as well as BL / Leyland / AR!!!! Check out the Princess for sale - also the petrol pricing in both litres and gallons!

 

Here's the same site in the late 60's in its previous guise:

 

As-is today - Taken from more or less the same spot:

[quicksilver]

Are Phillips & Sons of Buckingham listed? BMC, BL and Austin-Rover dealers of many years standing, since at least the 1920s. Still trading on the same site but under different ownership and now a non-franchised used car dealer after losing its Ford franchise recently.

Their place looks like this now, not normally with cars like that on the forecourt though sadly.

[martc]

On 05/07/2026 at 23:13, Eyersey1234 said:

Also recently purchased is a 1988 Austin Rover dealer directory, I thought it would be interesting to see what is on the sites of the dealers in this directory starting with the old Humberside area

APL Garages North Street Aldborough. No longer trading 

H Nightingale 38 Main Street Beeford. No longer trading. Now a housing development 

Armstrong Massey Barmston Road Beverley. No longer trading

Buckrose Motors Flamborough Road Bridlington. No longer trading 

Glacier Motor Company Grammar School Road Brigg. No longer trading 

Deans of Driffield 3-7 Queen Street. No longer trading, looks like part of the site is occupied by Iceland.

Dixon Rawcliffe Road Goole. No longer trading 

Grimsby Motors 415 Victoria Street Grimsby. No longer trading, the site is now part of a retail park

Charles Welpton The Square and The Wier Hessle. No longer trading, the original showroom was demolished some time in the 90s and they moved to a new purpose built showroom elsewhere in Hessle, after Rover went bust they switched to Chevrolet for a year or two before closing. The new showroom is now a Hyundai dealership.

Paul Dixon Car Sales Clarence Street Hull. No longer trading 

TC Harrison 130-140 Anlaby Road Hull. No longer trading  the building is still there occupied by several businesses including a taxi company, a fireplace shop and a fast fit centre.

Maple Garage Sproatley. The first one in the list that is still trading, they currently hold a KGM franchise and were a Daihatsu dealers amongst other franchises

Peter Green Motors Barton Street Keelby. No longer trading 

Armstrong Massey 1 High Street Market Weighton. No longer trading, the building has been used by various businesses, part of it has been empty for a number of years after the Asda, formerly Netto supermarket closed

Kenning Normanby Road Scunthorpe. No longer trading 

Phil Ledgerwood Ross Lane Winterton. The second on the list that is still trading, now deals in Morgan 

So of 16 dealers, 2 of them are still trading.

 

I know of some of these -

Armstrong Massey are still going, but only their Driffield site so I suppose it doesn't count (although they do specialise in Land Rovers, so there's still a connection). Ditto TC Harrison - no longer anywhere near The East Riding of Yorkshire or North and North East Lincolnshire (Humberside is very very triggering in these parts).

Dixons went spectacularly bust, they had showrooms all over the region and over stretched themselves selling nearly every marque, they were particularly noted for Datsun/Nissan rather than Rover. Customer service was notably patchy to say the least. Think of them as a smaller Arnold Clark.

Maple Garage had noteworthy success with Proton - as is regularly reported they supplied the local fuzz with hundreds of them, as well as supplying every giffer in the county. They pioneered Chinese MG's and again made a success of them locally, long before they became a success nationally. They also sold Suburus and as mentioned Daihatsus and Perodua . Now they peddle KGM nee SSangyong. Every county has their own Maple Garage ploughing their own furrow and making an obscure marque, which is uncommon nationwide, very common locally.

Welptons, I bought a Hyundai Elantra from them, they had two large sales sites, next to each other, Rover etc on one side, the Far East on the other. When Rover went bust they sold the Rover side to de Vries, later (and still) Marshall to flog Hondas. The other side continued with Isuzu, Suburu, Hyundai and Daewoo, later Chevrolet. This became Minstergate and now Drive. They still sell Hyundai but have also added MG.

And look what I've got in the garage, the nozzle is blocked but I've kept it for posterity (you used to get one each service, they used them to lubricate the door locks etc and left the part used can as a complimentary 'gift', I've used them all up over the years apart form this one).

This was Welptons empire they moved here from the two smaller showrooms noted in the quote. Nearly every car dealer in Hull is within about half a mile of each other, this place is amongst them.

And to repeat please don't use the word 'Humberside' again! Smiley face, wink

 

[Eyersey1234]

21 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Are Phillips & Sons of Buckingham listed? BMC, BL and Austin-Rover dealers of many years standing, since at least the 1920s. Still trading on the same site but under different ownership and now a non-franchised used car dealer after losing its Ford franchise recently.

Their place looks like this now, not normally with cars like that on the forecourt though sadly.

Yes they are listed, I knew they switched to Ford at some point 

[Eyersey1234]

17 hours ago, martc said:

I know of some of these -

Armstrong Massey are still going, but only their Driffield site so I suppose it doesn't count (although they do specialise in Land Rovers, so there's still a connection). Ditto TC Harrison - no longer anywhere near The East Riding of Yorkshire or North and North East Lincolnshire (Humberside is very very triggering in these parts).

Dixons went spectacularly bust, they had showrooms all over the region and over stretched themselves selling nearly every marque, they were particularly noted for Datsun/Nissan rather than Rover. Customer service was notably patchy to say the least. Think of them as a smaller Arnold Clark.

Maple Garage had noteworthy success with Proton - as is regularly reported they supplied the local fuzz with hundreds of them, as well as supplying every giffer in the county. They pioneered Chinese MG's and again made a success of them locally, long before they became a success nationally. They also sold Suburus and as mentioned Daihatsus and Perodua . Now they peddle KGM nee SSangyong. Every county has their own Maple Garage ploughing their own furrow and making an obscure marque, which is uncommon nationwide, very common locally.

Welptons, I bought a Hyundai Elantra from them, they had two large sales sites, next to each other, Rover etc on one side, the Far East on the other. When Rover went bust they sold the Rover side to de Vries, later (and still) Marshall to flog Hondas. The other side continued with Isuzu, Suburu, Hyundai and Daewoo, later Chevrolet. This became Minstergate and now Drive. They still sell Hyundai but have also added MG.

And look what I've got in the garage, the nozzle is blocked but I've kept it for posterity (you used to get one each service, they used them to lubricate the door locks etc and left the part used can as a complimentary 'gift', I've used them all up over the years apart form this one).

This was Welptons empire they moved here from the two smaller showrooms noted in the quote. Nearly every car dealer in Hull is within about half a mile of each other, this place is amongst them.

And to repeat please don't use the word 'Humberside' again! Smiley face, wink

 

Thanks, I didn't realise Welptons used to own what's now the Honda showroom. I know the certain H word is triggering that's why I said former, and only used it as that's what it's described as in the AR and for that Ford dealer directories 

[quicksilver]

5 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Yes they are listed, I knew they switched to Ford at some point 

I think that was about 2000-ish, then a few years later they were sold to new owners and became Buckingham Ford. They lost the franchise in the 2024 cull and became BMC, an ironic choice of initials given the brand they used to sell. They've been on that site for over a century but aren't the oldest garage in Buckingham. Just across the road is W Ganderton & Son, founded in 1849, still family-owned and laying claim to being the oldest garage in the country. They've never sold cars apart from a brief dalliance with Lancia just before they pulled out of the UK.

[motorpunk]

Great thread. Particularly loving the old pics 

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Kent in 1988

Caffyns 20-46 New Street Ashford. Now a retail park 

Arter Brothers Dover Road Barham. No longer trading 

Barretts 28-30 St Peter's Street Canterbury No longer trading 

Fairways 16 Medway Street Chatham. No longer trading 

Beadles 36-42 Spital Street Dartford. No longer trading, looks like part  of the site is now a pub

Haxted Motor Company Marlpit Hill Edenbridge. No longer trading 

Henlys 137-9 Sandgate Road and Bouviere Road West Folkestone. No longer trading, the Sandgate Road showroom is now a convenience store

LH Jackson King's Road Herne Bay. No longer trading 

Toll Gate Garages 114 Leaves Green Road Keston. Still a petrol station and tyre shop

Cascade Motor Services 61 Main Road Longfield. There's still a used car dealer and repairer on the site

Dutton Forshaw Bircholt Road Maidstone. No longer trading 

Caffyns 8-12 Harold Road Margate. Now a used car dealer called St Georges Garage 

Dunstonian 56 Chislehurst Road Orpington. No longer trading, now houses

HW Hidson 110 High Street Rainham. Now a Renault and Dacia dealer 

Caffyns Grange Road Ramsgate. No longer trading 

Holboro Garage Rochester No longer trading 

Sandhurst Service Station Rye Road Sandhurst. Still trading as a petrol station 

Caffyns 90 London Road Sevenoaks. No longer trading 

Waite Brothers Castle Garage, Otford, Sevenoaks. No longer trading 

New Road Service Station Sheerness No longer trading 

Beadles 145-9 Main Road Sidcup Still trading as a Land Rover dealer 

Central Garage High Street Tenterden No longer trading 

West Wickham Garage 303 High Street West Wickham. Now a branch of Travis Perkins 

Taylors Garage 150 Bridge Street Wye No longer trading 

[Eyersey1234]

For the now information I use Google Maps which I know can be a bit out of date, so if anyone finds anything is inaccurate please do tell me

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Northumberland in 1988

Hedgeley Motor Services, Powburn Alnwick. No longer trading 

C &L Young West End Garage High Market Ashington. No longer trading 

Lion Garage Front Street West and 70 Glebe Road Bedlington . The Glebe Road site is still a dealership, selling used cars,  looks like the Front Street West site has gone

WJ Davidson  Adderstone Garage Belford. Still trading as a petrol station 

Semples Tweedside Trading Estate Tweedmouth Berwick upon Tweed. Still trading as a MOT centre 

Blyth Motor Company Ridley Street Blyth. No longer trading 

John Elliott West End Garage Haltwhistle No longer trading 

Bishops Garage Alemouth Road Hexham. No longer trading 

Benfield Motors Hillgate Garage Morpeth.  No longer trading 

Croall Bryson and Son Glendale Garage South Road Wooler. Still trading as a petrol station and car repairer 

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Derbyshire in 1988

Kenning High Street Clay Cross. No longer trading 

Kenning Derwent Street Derby No longer trading 

New Oakwell Garage Derby Road and 12 South Street Ilkeston No longer trading 

Service Motors Leabrooks. No longer trading 

Kenning 43 Bakewell Road Matlock. No longer trading, the site is now a McDonald's 

Millhouse of West Hallam, Millhouse Garage High Lane West, West Hallam. Still trading as a used car dealer 

TH Archer Burton Road Garage Woodville. Still trading as a car repairer and tyre seller

 

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Cornwall 

Wadham Stringer Liskeard Road Bodmin. Another address that doesn't seem to exist, the postcode comes up as Priory Road

County Garage Carminnow Road Industrial Estate Bodmin. No longer trading 

Riders Garages 4 Berkeley Vale Falmouth. No longer trading 

Leon Vanstone Newport Industrial Estate Launceston. No longer trading 

Globe Garage, East Road Newquay. No longer trading 

Tolcarne Motors Newlyn. Still trading, they were a Rover dealer well into the 90s and still have 90s style Rover branding up

R C Harding & Son Parade Garage Mousehole. Still trading as a used car dealer 

Carlyon Bay Garages Beach Road St Austell No longer trading 

Hicks Motor Group Lemon Quay Truro. No longer trading 

R Eyres Brooklyn Garage Wadebridge. Still shows up on Google Maps but the site appears to be owned by the NHS now,so I assume its no longer trading 

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Somerset in 1988

Harry Ball 44 Market Street Bridgwater. A tyre shop called Malvern Tyres appears to be on the site now

Creech Motors Weymouth Road Evercreech. No longer trading 

Valais Way Garages Frome. No longer trading 

Brooks & Son, Bridge Garage Water Street Martock. Still trading as a MOT centre

Mount Street Garage Bishops Lydeard Taunton. No longer trading 

Wadham Stringer South Street Taunton. No longer trading 

A&N Parts Market Street Yeovil. No longer trading 

Vincents Princes Street Yeovil. No longer trading 

[R Lutz]

On 23/07/2026 at 14:00, Eyersey1234 said:

Dealers in Northumberland in 1988

John Elliott West End Garage Haltwhistle No longer trading 

I am sure John Elliott was number one for customer satisfaction. He also looked after a customer who driving through Lockerbie when the 747 came down...poor bloke saw it and drove until he ran out of petrol.

Bishops of Hexham employed a notorious member of the SAS who went on to be a successful author...

[Eyersey1234]

2 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

I am sure John Elliott was number one for customer satisfaction. He also looked after a customer who driving through Lockerbie when the 747 came down...poor bloke saw it and drove until he ran out of petrol.

Bishops of Hexham employed a notorious member of the SAS who went on to be a successful author...

Liked for his customer satisfaction not the fact the poor bloke saw the 747 come down, that must have haunted him.for the rest of his life 

[R Lutz]

Just now, Eyersey1234 said:

Liked for his customer satisfaction not the fact the poor bloke saw the 747 come down, that must have haunted him.for the rest of his life 

When they harvest a particular section of Kielder forest, they expect to find all sorts. I know a lot of his customers (he was a lovely bloke who travelled with his dog) saw bodies which traumatised them. 

[loserone]

On 20/07/2026 at 02:03, Eyersey1234 said:

Dutton Forahaw Bircholt Road Maidstone. No longer trading 

Dutton Forshaw had an AR dealer in Gateshead too.  Now part of Lookers

[Eyersey1234]

16 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

When they harvest a particular section of Kielder forest, they expect to find all sorts. I know a lot of his customers (he was a lovely bloke who travelled with his dog) saw bodies which traumatised them. 

I can imagine. Glad to hear he was a lovely bloke. What happened to.his garage?

[R Lutz]

1 minute ago, Eyersey1234 said:

I can imagine. Glad to hear he was a lovely bloke. What happened to.his garage?

I think there is still a Shell filling station there? He became a rep for various garage businesses, such as merchant services and Forte from memory.

[Eyersey1234]

3 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

I think there is still a Shell filling station there? He became a rep for various garage businesses, such as merchant services ad Forte from memory.

Even the postcode listed doesn't come up with anything which is a bit odd. Thanks for the explanation 

[R Lutz]

7 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Even the postcode listed doesn't come up with anything which is a bit odd. Thanks for the explanation 

The land was worth a fortune. There is one of only 3 Waitrose in the North East just along the road. 

[Eyersey1234]

Dealers in Buckinghamshire in 1988

Merritts of Amersham, Hill House Hill Avenue Amersham and Unit 6 St Georges Industrial Estate Little Chalfont Amersham. No longer trading 

Dutton Forshaw Buckingham Road Aylesbury. No longer trading. There is a garage called Aylesbury Motors on Buckingham Road, is this where Dutton Forshaw was?

Phillips & Sons Chandos Road Buckingham. Later became Buckingham Ford. Still has Ford AR status 

W Priest & Son Latimer Road Chesham. Became a Ford dealer c2005 after MG Rover collapsed, still has Ford AR status 

Henlys 320 London Road High Wycombe. No longer trading, now a self storage company 

Platts West Street Marlow. Still trading as a Suzuki dealer and Ford AR

Soul Garages High Street South Olney. No longer trading, an Aston Martin specialist uses the old showroom.

Devonshire Service Station Chalfont Road Seer Green. There is a used car dealer called Next Car Now on the site now