While researching the history of my car, a 37 Ruby ,i believe it was bought new from Prideauxs garage in North Devon, does anyone have any info/photos of possibly the branch in Lynton/lynmouth
Thanks

Scott,

Prideaux' Garage was situated on Lee Road, Lynton
Tel: Lynton 138

Chris

Location: Melton Mowbray

Chris
Thanks for that
Does anyone have any photos, old adverts
Scott

Scott,

There's this early postcard I found on the net. From the sign writing on the wall, Prideaux' Garage obviously hired Austin cars back in those early days.



This is the former Prideaux Garage on Lee Road, Lynton today.



The site has obviously been earmarked by Torridge District Council for possible housing redevelopment. If you're thinking of taking a photo of your Ruby parked outside the garage, I suggest you do it soon before it's gone forever.



Lynton is of course very well known in railway enthusiast circles for the former Lynton & Barnstaple Narrow Gauge Railway - here's a link to a 1935 film showing the railway in it's final months before closure. The good news is part of the railway has in recent years been reopened with further extensions to the running line planned over the coming years - see second youtube link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epW1OaP3gcE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3_n9XeP30

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

Thanks Jeff
That's a real shame the council is thinking of knocking it down, It would be about a 500 mile round trip to take a photo and i'm busy this afternoon!! so it looks like i'll print this photo off, i take it your local to Lynton?
Scott

Hi Scott,

No, I've never been to Lynton in my life, I found the information and photos by doing a quick bit of research on the net. However being a life long railway enthusiast, I'm very familiar with the history of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. I actually live in the far North East of England - a round trip to Lynton for me would be roughly 800 miles and take around 12 hours!

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

I was most interested to see the photograph of Prideaux's garage, as we published same photograph in the Vintage Austin Register's 2009'Spring' edition of our magazine.
The photograph was published in the book 'Lynton & Lynmouth by John Travis. Nothing unusual there, but then Dave Whetton of the Dorset Austin Seven Club sent me a copy of the same photograph - same cars, same drivers standing next to the cars, BUt the sign above the garage read 'DUSTON GARAGE' with an address of 711, Peveril Road, Dunston, Northampton. ,
I did try to get an answer from the people at DUSTON but they did not reply to my enquiry.
Interestingly, the registration numbers on the beautiful Edwardian Austins would certainly indicate that they were registered in Devon, so, without a doubt the Prideaux's garage photograph is the genuine one.
So why would DUSTON use a photograph of someone else's premises I wonder?
Answers on a postcard please...........
Jim

Location: The Tropical Isle of Sheppey

I have seen exactly the same photo (possibly here ) with the signwriting for a garage for Beaminster in Dorset, early Photoshop maybe ?

Interesting Jim and Nigel regarding the apparent multiple locations given for the Lynton photo - presumably the original publisher of the postcard saw an opportunity to market his copyright image to other garage owners simply by hand photo retouching the facia board to suit. I have to say that now you mention it, even the Prideauxs' postcard looks to have been retouched in a number of areas - so whether the original photo was actually of their garage in Lynton is without additional contemporary photographic proof, impossible to say.

Here's another postcard showing Prideauxs' Barnstaple Square garage with the words 'Austin Cars' clearly shown on the fascia board. The building still exists but is now trading together with the taller building to its left as the Bike Shed.







Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England