Car history (help required)

M

MandM

New Member
Hi Guys my name is Martin and I live in north suffolk and wonder if you would be able to help me :) , I don't own a Rover but a Triumph Stag in the best colour Mimosa, which i have owned for the passed 2 years, it has it's original trv8 engine, I served an apprenticeship as a motor vehicle technician in Hornchurch essex, we used to sell P6 rovers and coupes, (I have changed my share of rear brake pads in my time) anyway I have been researching my cars history.
The first registered keeper was Gavin Fairfax Ltd, a Rover, Jag, and standard Triumph dealer in virgina Water Surrey, I think the car was a demonstrator, but are not sure of this, they only had it 6 months.
The problem that i have is trying to find a photo of Gavin Fairfax garage for the car history i have been searching the web and came across an image of a tax disc holder with Gavin fairfax on it, which has lead me here. One of the posts is by MJP6B, which is about oil change intervals, these lead on to a gentleman called Nick Dunning just breifly talking about his time at Gavin Fairfax.
I wounder if this gentleman is on the forum and would contact me, to see if he has a photo of the garage, or does he remember a yellow stag used as a demonstrator during his time there, are there others member who have some information about this Garage.
The second and third owners of my car have sadly both passed away but their combined ownership was 23yrs, but i have been in contact with the third owners wife and daughter who were happy to hear from me and sent me some books that her husband had for the car (nice people).
The second owner lived in Sandwich Kent on the Earl of sandwhich est, a lady who purchase it from Gavin fairfax when it was 6 months old, as you can see i have some info but would like to know more if possible, hope you can all help, thanks martin
 
I didn't do any time at Gavin Fairfax - I'm far too young (apparently).

MJP6B is the man who did work for them.

I've been for a poke about the site where the dealership once was, sadly nothing to be seen now.
 
Mandb,

Hi Martin, Yes as Nick Dunning so rightly says the site where Gavin Fairfax Ltd once stood was developed some years ago, I cannot tell you exactly when, but it was a VERY valuable site for some property developer to exploit, being situated next to Virginia Water railway station (the rear windows of the main workshop overlooked one of the platforms so chatting up the female “talent” on the early morning commute was a frequent occurrence. Photographs of the garage, as it was then, seem to be non existant – at least I have been unable to find any.

The dealership was extremely busy during the period that I was there, so remembering a single car would tax any memory; if your Stag was first registered to the company it could possibly have been a “demonstrator” but I think more likely it was “on long term test” as the daily hack for one of the sales team after rectification of a mechanical problem. I do remember Stags having cooling problems very early on due to the failure of their water pumps , and various modifications/recalls were tried to overcome this, You do not mention the date of first registration of your car ? Which might help jog memories, I am in touch with one other former Gavin Fairfax employee.

Most Gavin Fairfax customers were residents of the nearby Wentworth Estate with its Golf Club and Courses, high profile and some very wealthy people, so it does not surprise me that your car spent time on the Earl of Sandwich`s Estate, she probably had connections in Virginia Water.

If you write to Pendragon Plc Head Office* – who are Stratstones dealerships parent company, you may just strike lucky as they must have pictures of GF within their acquisition heritage files from when they bought the dealership.

* PM me for contact & their address if you wish
 
I forgot to add a correction to the initial post.

To my knowledge Gavin Fairfax Ltd never held a Jaguar dealership, although we did work on them. Dealership was "ROVER, Land Rover, Triumph, Morris & Austin"
 
MJP6B said:
I forgot to add a correction to the initial post.

To my knowledge Gavin Fairfax Ltd never held a Jaguar dealership, although we did work on them. Dealership was "ROVER, Land Rover, Triumph, Morris & Austin"
Click to expand...


Have sent you a PM

Thanks for your help
 
MJP6B said:
Most Gavin Fairfax customers were residents of the nearby Wentworth Estate with its Golf Club and Courses, high profile and some very wealthy people, so it does not surprise me that your car spent time on the Earl of Sandwich`s Estate, she probably had connections in Virginia Water.
Click to expand...

All that rings true with my Three Thousand Five. The first owner was a stockbroker from Sunningdale, whose son is a big name in golf and spends most of his time in Qatar.
 
29thMay20117640x480.jpg


A gent comes to the Enfield Pageant with his P4 every year, his car was supplied by Gavin Fairfax. He found this early 1960's advert in a magazine and has a photocopy of it in the back of his car. He's apparently going to send me a spare.
 
Nick - what a lovely bit of history ! That advertisement was pre my time at the establishment, and only
Rover mentioned - assumes the Austin/Morris & Land Rover franchises came later.

The Rover Car Company sponsored the excellent exhaust extraction system in the workshop, there was a
Rover banner promoting clean air in the workshop hung from the rafters it was an old system but worked well. :D
 
Series 1 = Still before my time Nick, but a very nice momento to have if your car - as yours was - supplied by GF

I regret that mine was supplied to Father by Henlys - you cannot win them all ! :(
 
Hi Guys, thanks for all your help , with my cars history, i just hope i can help someone else sometime with their quest.

M&M

Martin

P.S if you find out more about Gavin fairfax , i would of coarse be interested. Thanks again
 
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