Hadley Green Garage

It was in 1910 when the late HARRY GREEN entered the motortrade and served an apprenticeship with the DAIMLER Motor Co. Who was to know at that time the great significance that name would play on the future of Hadley Green Garage in later years!

In 1918 Harry Green was demobbed from the RNAS and with small savings and gratuity started in the yard of the Windmill Public House at Hadley Highstone repairing and selling ex W.D Motor Cycles. His aunt told him there was no future in the motor trade...

1920 Harry Green purchased his first Daimler limousine and started chauffeur driven car hire catering for Weddings, Funerals and other functions.

1925 Harry Green is joined in the business by his younger brother Len Green, 12 years his junior.

1927 Blacksmiths shop acquired at Hadley Highstone and garage built on that site.

1932 Took on Rootes Agency comprising Humber, Hillman Sunbeam Talbot at Motor Show as very impressed with the Hillman Minx. Douglas Hadley Green the second son of Harry was born in the flat above the Garage at Hadley Highstone.

1939 Len Green is called up for active service, joins the RNVR and rises to Lieutenant and takes part in seven landings. He is mentioned twice in dispatches.

During the war years of 1939 to 1945, part of the garage was rented out to aircraft parts manufacturers with 50 employees working day and night. Harry Green continued running the garage and doing war work making bushes for Spitfire tailplanes. We still had two chauffeurs and Humber Limousines for Weddings etc.

1945 After long protracted negotiations the property at 202/4, High Street was purchased. This was a very old fashioned showroom and service area which had been built in the front garden of an old Georgian House. The sublet part of the Garage at Hadley is reclaimed and reused as workshops and garaging for the hire fleet, which eventually comprised of 4 Humber Pullman Limousines and 3 Humber Hawks. Len Green demobilised and rejoins the business and a limited company is formed­Hadley Green Garage Lid with Harry as the Chairman and Managing Director and Len and Peggy Green (Harry's wife) as Directors.

1948 Harry Green's youngest son, Douglas leaves Highgate School and serves a five-year apprenticeship with Rootes Group at Ladbroke Hall. Harry had been previously based there in the 1 st World War when it was known as Clement Talbot works.

1952 A small garage at Park Road was purchased to accommodate the chauffeur driven hire service.

1953 Douglas Green leaves Rootes and works at Hadley Highstone.

1954 Old Post Office next to the old Hadley Garage purchased and demolished, petrol forecourt extended, wash bay created and service area extended.

1956 After ten years of applications planning approval finally granted for rebuilding of High Street showrooms. Douglas Green moves to the Sales Department.

1957 Almost exactly one year after being demolished the new Showrooms are opened and a record number of Rootes Group products are sold.

1959 Harry Green dies and Douglas Green takes over running the business at the age of 26. There were about 10 employees.

1962 It was always Douglas Green's ambition to own a Rolls-Royce and to be actively involved in that market. In 1962 the opportunity presented itself when a year old Silver Cloud 11 was offered for sale. Hadley Green Garage purchased the motor car but at this time there was a limitation of £2,000 for companies to buy motor cars. As this car was retailing at £5,250 it took six months to sell. The market at that time was in the earlier cars retailing for under £2,000. However, 9 used Rolls-Royce and Bentleys were sold from July to December. Used cars were difficult to find but the garage scoured the country to find them.

1963 37 used Rolls-Royces were sold. Application for the Rolls-Royce Agency failed due to a distributor already at St Albans.

1964 63 used Rolls-Royce and Bentleys were sold. Rolls-Royce noticed as the Hadley Green Garage was selling more cars than most of their official agents. FIRST NEW BENTLEY was also sold this year! -7

1965 On October 1 st Douglas Green's lifetime ambition was realised when Hadley Green Garage were appointed as Official Rolls-Royce and Bentley retailers. By coincidence this was the day the new Silver Shadow was announced which was to become one of their most successful products.

1967 Took repossession of a small garage in Park Road, which had been owned by the garage since 1952 and transformed it into solus Rolls-Royce workshop.

1968 Appointed full Rolls-Royce Distributors with territory of Hertfordshire and Essex with S.M.A.C.S as sub dealers.

1969 Rootes Group were taken over by Chrysler and renamed Chrysler UK all the signs had to be altered.

1973 12,000 sq ft of land behind Park Road Garage was rented from the Council. This had originally been an orchard owned by the Black Bull Public House. After one year planning permission was obtained and the Bell and Webster 3000 sq ft building was erected and a concrete car park included.

1979 Douglas Green was elected President of Barnet Rotary Club in its 50th year.

1980 Purchased adjacent land on Moxon St. from Ballards Plant. Building work was undertaken to install 2 wash bays, Rolls-Royce part department and a rest room. 1.25 acres of service area was now available.

1980 Douglas' son, Paul Green, joins the company after 18 months with Rolls-Royce at Crewe.

1983 Appointed official dealers for Daimler and jaguar this again was another marque, which Douglas had loved, but up to that time there had been too many other jaguar Dealers locally.

1985 Two properties on the Park Road Trading Estate, one a dartboard factory, the other a ping-pong ball factory, were obtained. These were converted into a jaguar workshop.

1985-1987 Douglas serves on the Council of Management of the Institute of the Motor Industry. Harry Green was a member from pre war.

1988-1989 Paul and Douglas become Freemen of the City of London and members of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. Douglas also becomes a member of the Worshipful Company of Coach makers and Coach Harnessmakers.

1989 The wash bays at the rear of the showroom were completely altered to display a further 4 cars.

1990 Paul's son Harry (the 2nd) Hadley Green is born.

1991 Peugeot business sold to Vilton Cars in order to give 100% attention to the luxury car market. The original garage at Hadley Highstone was sold as a freehold of the 1.4 acre site at Moxon was obtained.

1994 A seat was erected in the garden of headquarters of the Institute of the Motor memory of Harry Green.

1998 The new Bentley Arnage and Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph are announced at the launch party at the Royal Chace.

1999 High Street showrooms are completely refurbished and designed with air conditioning in preparation for launch of the S-Type Jaguar in June.

2001 Took repossession of 151-153 High Street. This was used as a temporary showroom for Land Rover whilst waiting for the new showroom to be built at Victors Way.

2002 Awarded the Land Rover Agency.

2003 Bentley is purchased by Volkswagen. Rolls-Royce is sold to BMW so two agencies are split. The garage stays with Bentley and under Block Exemption rules, Bentley required a separate showroom. The MOT bay, wash bay and parts department were demolished to make way for the new showroom.

2004 First Bentley Continental GT is delivered.

The new 8,240 sq ft Land Rover showroom opened with 29 cars on display.

The new Bentley showroom opened in November with 2,800 sq ft.