Mercury Motors has been on its Strawberry Vale site in one form or another since 1941.
As we approach our 85th anniversary, we decided to pull together a short history of the company.
The Mercury Engineering Company is a machine shop, working on Government contracts and essential work orders at the start of the war
1941
Mercury Engineering is founded
They also specialised in fitting bag frames to the top of cars and lorries to enable them to run on gas and sell petrol to the general public.
Part of the workshop was let to Osterbury & Lale for their grinding machine and another part to Brown & Doe for their capstan lathe. They worked mainly on Admiralty contracts.
Meg Rees takes over
1948
When the owner of Mercury Engineering emigrates to New Zealand, Margaret "Meg" Rees takes over and focuses on the garage business.
A Ford showroom and parts department are added alongside the existing petrol sales, car service and repair business
Mercury's becomes a Ford dealer
1950s & 60s
Meg and her husband Brian manage to secure the freehold of the Strawberry Vale site
Meg and Brian's sons, Anthony and Robin, join the business
Car sales are discontinued and, later, so are petrol sales. The business focuses on servicing, repairs and parts.
Mercury Motors name adopted
1970s & 80s
An extension is built and the servicing and parts departments are expanded and this is followed by the building of an adjoining office.
Mercury Engineering is renamed Mercury Motors and it continues to specialise in Fords
MOT Tests become more sophisticated with the advent of emissions testing, the 'automated test bay and computerised certification
Mercury Motors modernises
1990s & 2000s
Electronic diagnostics start to appear and Mercury's diversify into all makes of vehicle from their previous Ford specialisation
Meg and Brian's grandson, Simon, joins the business in 1998
The EU Block Exemption drives competition by allowing independent garages to service vehicles without nullifying manufacturer warranties. This allows independent garages like Mercury's to access manufacturer diagnostic and knowledge bases and update digital service records.
One-stop shop
2010s & 2020s
With the advent of cross-brand diagnostics, just-in-time parts delivery and the
EU Block Exemption, the focus shifts to providing a complete service for all brands.
The parts department is closed as the focus moves towards just-in-time parts delivery and only holding stock for high-turnover parts such as tyres and batteries.