Old, Long Forgotten Car Dealers

delthedriver

Antenna wrote: »

All 021 numbers were 6 digits by 1990, or a bit before (then to 7-digits in the late 1990s)
I understand areas of south-west Cork city that had 5-digit numbers 4xxxx were the last to go 6 digits in the city (4xxxx -> 54xxxx), the Motor World Nissan garage had such a number.

I came across somewhere a 1983-1984 Golden Pages which at the time was for all the country OUTSIDE the Dublin (01) area and 021 numbers were either 5 digit or 6 digit (mostly the latter) in that, click below (Pages 89-97 Car Dealers...)
Interesting to see areas of the country that had no direct dial, you were put through by the operator (towns as big as Westport, Co. Mayo)
Also some places had just 4-digit phone numbers, such as the 024 area (Youghal and surrounding areas where later existing numbers xxxx became 9xxxx)

Well done. I have really enjoyed tripping down memory lane. Some of the names of garages which are no longer in existence brought back great memories. Many thanks

Rory37

Was in Vienna, Austria at the weekend and spotted this Old, Long forgotten Auto Electrical. Some great cars around also. Not so many classics but what you use to see everyday in Ireland 20 years ago!

Antenna

delthedriver wrote: »

Well done. I have really enjoyed tripping down memory lane. Some of the names of garages which are no longer in existence brought back great memories. Many thanks

good to hear it was of interest.
below I have a picture of pages 98-99 of that 1983-1984 Irish phonebook (for all outside the 01 area) which I couldn't include in my above post (limit 5 pictures), which has some further motor trade related listings (parts/supplies etc) from back then.

Obikenobi23

vampire of kilmainham wrote: »

booth poole
islandbridge dublin long gone now i rember it when i was a kid
apaetments there now...

They were main agents for, Wolsely & MG, cars, Foden, Guy, Dennis & Morris commercial trucks & vans. They also did Nuffield tractors & all the associated farm gear. They were main agents for Claes combine harvesters.
They did every thing in house as they had their own panel beating, painting, & sign writing shops. They had engine & transmission shops & even re timed the injector pumps themselves.
They had two vans on the road with mechanics who called to farms & repaired tractors & combines in situ.
They only thing they farmed out was coach buidling & that was to a company called Callow who were located beside them in Westland Row before they moved to Islanbridge.
My father worked for them from 1932 till they closed.

L1011

The Nissan entry in that Golden Pages brings me back with a few names I remember from my childhood. Ryan & Tyrrell were the only dealer in town here, their site is now reduced to being just a filling stastion. Think they went to Mazda before selling out.

North Kildare now only has a Ford and a Kia/Mitsubishi dealer, a far cry from what there was when I was a kid.

mondymike wrote: »

passed this place a few times. Been cleaned up, there used to be a load of cars lying up outside, before i think i saw a c15 van on a 2 post lift, with an inch of dust on it.

https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Drumcondra&hl=en&ll=53.849793,-6.653724&spn=0.003829,0.009645&sll=53.84996,-6.653413&sspn=0.000964,0.002411&oq=Drumcon&t=h&hnear=Drumcondra,+County+Meath&z=17&layer=c&cbll=53.850109,-6.653058&panoid=Mv2W1FiXrZ9LDErwYU3Eiw&cbp=12,194.26,,0,0

Even looking in from the road can lead to the former owner turning up and harrassing you on the street, be warned. There was definitely a C15 in it when I last bothered looking.

Hank Schrader

Great thread.


I started my career with Linders of Smithfield (old pics posted) under Sonny Linders
Then at Everyready in Baggot Lane dealing with Ladd Lane and Ballsbridge Mts (old pics posted)
Then Geenhills with ARC behind Stuarts/fairlane(stories and info)
Then Longmile Rd with Ace near EP Mooneys(old pics posted)
Living in Lucan near the Texaco/Foxhunter(old pics posted)


Well done to all the contributors and thanks for the memories

Grimreaper666

Obikenobi23 wrote: »

They were main agents for, Wolsely & MG, cars, Foden, Guy, Dennis & Morris commercial trucks & vans. They also did Nuffield tractors & all the associated farm gear. They were main agents for Claes combine harvesters.
They did every thing in house as they had their own panel beating, painting, & sign writing shops. They had engine & transmission shops & even re timed the injector pumps themselves.
They had two vans on the road with mechanics who called to farms & repaired tractors & combines in situ.
They only thing they farmed out was coach buidling & that was to a company called Callow who were located beside them in Westland Row before they moved to Islanbridge.
My father worked for them from 1932 till they closed.

Interesting you mentioned Callows, I restored a hearse built by them a few years ago but could never find anything about where they operated from, thanks for the information.

exador

Merlin in Bluebell originally opened in circa 72 as Robert Callow and then changed to Callow Gilmore and then WINDSOR...Is this the same Callow Family ? Any relation ?

djh2009

THEDONWALDO wrote: »

Anyone remember the old nsu garage on pappins rd? there is a tyre crowd there now...

Or traynor motors in finglas....ah the memories!

I worked in Traynor Motors in the late seventies. Some training ground, 210 people working there at the time, 13 in the parts department. You wouldnt see that any more. How times have changed !

repsol

djh2009 wrote: »

I worked in Traynor Motors in the late seventies. Some training ground, 210 people working there at the time, 13 in the parts department. You wouldnt see that any more. How times have changed !

That is an unbelievable number of staff! How many mechanics?

Capri

Saw an old (Merc ? ) today with 'Crosbies of Lad Lane' sticker on the back window. OLD MONEY :rolleyes:

djh2009

repsol wrote: »

That is an unbelievable number of staff! How many mechanics?

I wouldnt remember how many there were, but there were a few different workshops. A petrol workshop for the Hillman range etc ( Avenger, Hunter and so on ) , a diesel workshop for the Dodge range with also specialist mechanics for the M.A.N truck range, an R.S.U unit ( Reconditioning Service Unit which reconditioned engines on site ) and a farm machinery workshop also. It was some operation alright.

ben9195

exador wrote: »

Yes..I remember the olfella in parts in Archers when I was a young lad.. He was stooped over and was a narky olfella that gave me the spooks but was an encyclopedia for part numbers...

I think his name was Joe Burgess

ben9195

He was a Joe Burgess. Great storeman

triple-M

Driving on the north circular road in dublin for the first time in a year or so and I noticed the old "abba car sales" sign had been painted over http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=abba+car+sales+north+circular+road&hl=en&ll=53.360054,-6.261864&spn=0.020028,0.038581&safe=off&hq=abba+car+sales&hnear=N+Circular+Rd,+Dublin,+County+Dublin&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=53.359967,-6.262302&panoid=mkuj5u9Zr8QO1MpKBYehow&cbp=12,177.4,,0,-3.9 when did that happen?

exador

ben9195 wrote: »

He was a Joe Burgess. Great storeman

Name sounds familar OK..That was about 1980/81 ...I think

ben9195

No. Smithfield were main Ford dealers along with Archers, Autocars and Walden.

exador

ben9195 wrote: »

No. Smithfield were main Ford dealers along with Archers, Autocars and Walden.

Not surre if you what you mean ?

I knew a lot of the smithfield staff in kylemore ..the car centre and benburb street

ben9195

exador wrote: »

Name sounds familar OK..That was about 1980/81 ...I think

I got parts from him from 1955 until about 1966.

exador

ben9195 wrote: »

I got parts from him from 1950 until about 1966.

The guy I am talking about worked in ARCHERS in the final days ......late 1979 early 80's...must be a different guy

ben9195

exador wrote: »

Not surre if you what you mean ?

I knew a lot of the smithfield staff in kylemore ..the car centre and benburb street

I only went to Smithfield in Benburb St. The other comment was a a quote to someone else regarding Linders of smithfield.

exador

ben9195 wrote: »

I only went to Smithfield in Benburb St. The other comment was a a quote to someone else regarding Linders of smithfield.

ok

ben9195

exador wrote: »

The guy I am talking about worked in ARCHERS in the final days ......late 1979 early 80's...must be a different guy

Joe was there for many years. When Archers went he worked for a while in Traynors of Finglas doing warranty work. He was pushing 70 at the time.

Big Nasty

exador wrote: »

Not surre if you what you mean ?

I knew a lot of the smithfield staff in kylemore ..the car centre and benburb street

Me too!

500man

Anyone have a pic or indeed a window sticker from one of the Fiat dealers in Dublin in the 70s

BowWow

500man wrote: »

Anyone have a pic or indeed a window sticker from one of the Fiat dealers in Dublin in the 70s

You could try Tractamotors in Blanchardstown - only one of that era still around.

500man

There were a lot of Fiat dealers in Dublin at that time hope someone has a picture or sticker:)

500man

acme coach @ motor co palmerstown
Cars@Plant ltd Finglas
Churchtown service station
W.B Crawford Hatch st
Assemblers ltd Lombard st
Dudlin garages north circular rd
esmonde garage serpentine ave
Fitzgerald motors kilmainham
fort service station cromwellsfort rd
Frankfort garage ltd Dundrum rd
Gorman Bros maxwell rd
Linders chapelisod @smithfield
Modern motors Crumlin
motor sales townsend st
Murphy@gunn Rathgar av
Ryan car sales Townsend st
Sweeney @ forte Clontarf
Tractamotors Prussia st
Williams Sterling @ co Williamstown
Dun Laoighaire Motors Glasthule rd

swarlb

500man wrote: »

acme coach @ motor co palmerstown
Cars@Plant ltd Finglas
Churchtown service station
W.B Crawford Hatch st
Assemblers ltd Lombard st
Dudlin garages north circular rd
esmonde garage serpentine ave
Fitzgerald motors kilmainham
fort service station cromwellsfort rd
Frankfort garage ltd Dundrum rd
Gorman Bros maxwell rd
Linders chapelisod @smithfield
Modern motors Crumlin
motor sales townsend st
Murphy@gunn Rathgar av
Ryan car sales Townsend st
Sweeney @ forte Clontarf
Tractamotors Prussia st
Williams Sterling @ co Williamstown
Dun Laoighaire Motors Glasthule rd

How old is that list ? i worked for Fiat Dealerships in the early 70's and very few of them ring a bell.
The one that really sticks out is Fitzgerald Motors in Kilmainham, I lived in Inchicore from the late 50's, where exactly were they, do you know ?

500man

70 71 Fitzgeralds 40 old kilmainham phone 776156