SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Just read one of Shire Books excellent concise little books on 'VW Camper and Microbus' by Richard Copping.Surprised to note that Moortown Motors Ltd, Regent Street, Leeds 2 Tel. 31894 were a VW distributor and began production of campervans in 1958. This ceased mid 1960's.http://www.campervans4sale.com/2011/01/ ... ersion/Any images of them? Anyone own one, and were they the same as Arnold G Wilson?

Thats interesting, I've been an avid VW campervan fan for years, that is until I owned a couple of them and found them to be a hole in the ground into which I threw thousands of pounds to be left standing at the side of the road next to a broken down vehicle, or crawling back from Glastonbury festival at 15 mph for nearly 48 hours solid driving!I never heard of the Moortown VW conversion so it must either be an unpopular version or there were hardly any made...? The best VW I owned was actually a 1980s F-Reg LT28 that I bought direct from the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service. It had a 3 litre V6 petrol engine with air suspension, overdrive and cruise control. It was fully kitted out as a paramedic ambulance and was fitted out with cupboards / oxygen lines / electric generator / heater / rear tail lift, tinted windows / sirens / flashing strobes / CB Radio and the lot! Only paid £500 for it and it really went like the clappers! Back in the early 1990s we went snowboarding to the French / Italian Alps in it and lived out of it for 3 months over the ski season. Even though it was about as aerodynamic as a brick it would easily do 90 mph on the French motorways and with the air suspension it was a smooth ride too. I'd love to own another one! As for classic VW campers though, they're ok if you have bottomless pockets and love tinkering / repairing but personally I steer clear of them... They do look great tho!

Hi Jogon,In the 1960's/70's, Regent Street, Roseville Road, North Street and Sheepscar Street South were full of car showrooms for all types of cars. Renault had a showroom, Cox & Co. were Rootes (and possibly Simca) dealers and Arnold G Wilson was mainly British Leyland (Morris, Austin, Wolseley, Riley, Triumph, MG, etc.) and also Alvis. Appleyards, at the end of North Street, were also British Leyland dealers. Brown and White were Ford dealers.I can't remember whether or not it was Arnold G. Wilson who also had a branch in Roseville Road selling Jaguar, Rolls Royce and Bentley or it may have been Charles S. Sydney or Appleyard Rippon. Leeds Autocars, on Roseville Road, were Vauxhall dealers.Arnold G. Wilson are shown in the phone books for 1960, 1964 and 1968 as at Regent Street but without a street number.In the same phone books, Moortown Motors are listed as Volkswagen dealers at Regent Street, without a street number, and also at 232 Harrogate Road. All of the telephone numbers are different, for Arnold G. Wilson, and Moortown Motors.I may be wrong but I don't think that the companies were connected.Ian                

I think Appleyard Rippon were the expensive cars.