Oh my word someone please save those books and parts for goodness sake! They will get thrown 😢😭 I will never forget seeing an urbex video of two lads who explored the old Ryton plant and the drawings, plans, memorabilia and prototypes left behind was insane 🙄 What a great and fascinating video - I adore Art Deco architecture anyway so this combined with cars is nirvana for me. Wow, will have to watch it again! Thank you for such a great tour!,
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Please do watch again! Fortunately the developer has been working with the Rootes Archive (who helped me with old pictures too) so lots has already gone there and Ill get those albums there too, Ive saved a few manuals, with permission of course!
@robedwrds3879
4 жыл бұрын
@@furiousdriving ,so so glad to hear.
@hydorah
4 жыл бұрын
@@furiousdriving Well done!
@PurityVendetta
4 жыл бұрын
One part of my partner and myself's business is to buy engineering equipment when manufacturing industry closes here in the UK. We tend to collect books and other such things which otherwise end up in skips. It always makes me so sad that engineering and manufacturing here has been betrayed by successive governments. So glad people are going to try to save some of the documentation.
@alexbonham2361
4 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear you saved books etc well done
@stevecharlton2271
4 ай бұрын
I worked here in the late 60's, early 70's starting as a trainee accountant. Got promoted to Canterbury and after a few years to Eastbourne - All Rootes Group Companies - fond memories and great video to stimulate the old grey matter!
@williamross2579
4 жыл бұрын
Imagine ...you’ve just purchased a brand new Humber Imperial, or Super Snipe, and rolling it out of this building in the 60s... talk of the town!
@globaleye8
4 жыл бұрын
Not all honey you know - When I worked for Rootes as a mechanic in Germany, our Managing Director naturally had a new Humber Imperial, kept burning holes in pistons during autobahn driving. At the same time you could jump into an old VW Beetle in Hamburg and floor it to Stuttgart no trouble at all 😁
@bazza945
4 жыл бұрын
Roll it out of the showroom, all proud and poor, drive it round the block, then right back to the workshop for the first of many repairs.
@paulbroderick8438
2 жыл бұрын
Yep, sitting in one was like a board room with all of the opulence.
@richardhalliday159
4 жыл бұрын
I have just sat through a 30 minute KZitem video with my mouth wide open the whole time.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
COuldnt have hoped for a better reaction!
@thomasbrinkley9430
4 жыл бұрын
Crittall windows . Historic in themselves.!. Brilliant Vid. Thankyou.
@Alanphuphalee
4 жыл бұрын
I work at a Mercedes Dealership in Sunderland as an apprentice. Recently I was asked to go through all of the special tools we have and catalogue them into a spreadsheet so they can ve easily located if they are ever needed. Every mercedes special tool has a part number. When I was going through the boxes of tools I was told to throw tools out for cars that dated back to the 60s and 70s. It was heart breaking to have to throw them away but I was one that appreciated their history and think about the "Once upon a time" where as most of the technicians don't really care much about cars and just see it as a job that pays the bills. This video and the comments remind me of how I felt that day. A lot of people who watch your videos clearly appreciate motoring history and don't just watch Car Throttle and Car Wow. You and your viewers have a true passion for the automotive industry and its history. I love this channel.
@sjoif
4 жыл бұрын
This is literally 5 minutes walk from my house, have always gone past it without really looking at it, great to know some history of this building! Good video!
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Its part of the background of Maidstone, I cant imagine the town without it - its just always been there! Most people dont realise how huge the Rootes company was and that it came from here
@sjoif
4 жыл бұрын
furiousdriving I am one of those people, I didn’t realise until this video how much history that slightly tatty looking Peugeot dealership had, an certainly will be a shame that it’s only going to become some apartment buildings 👎 it’s also nice to watch a KZitemr that’s local and relatable! Keep it up!
@chrisblay
4 жыл бұрын
I love this, it’s almost like a living museum. A shame all that history will be lost. Those workshops are enormous and all that equipment left behind. Surely some of it can be saved and reused.
@johncox637
3 жыл бұрын
My dad was Sir Reginalds chauffeur and often did errands to Maidstone and took me with him. This video brought it all back I knew the building the moment I saw it and what stuck out the most was ......the ramp. How can a brain store that away for 45 years and remember it in an instance. Thanks for the memory.
@muckle8
Ай бұрын
@johncox637 what car did your father chauffeur in? Was it rooted or something else? It’s amazing what images remain in the mind!
@muckle8
Ай бұрын
#rootes
@johncox637
Ай бұрын
@@muckle8 Hello, initially a top of the range Humber Imperial in Burgundy. I learnt to Chamois leather it as a boy and Dad often kept it at home in a large garage on our farm cottage. Consequently, I got to move the car frequently and later with a driving license drove it a few times as well. It was eventually replaced with another lovely old car a Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas and yes I got to drive that as well. The A20 was a quiet road back then and i don't think road police really existed. Different times. I remember driving tractors and company cars as well including a Morris Mariner with double overhead cam which felt fast and a horrible Austin Princess plus a mini clubman , cars all used domestically around the estate. Even a lorry horse transporter empty of course. I gained such confidence behind the wheel and Dad taught me how to drive the car in-front of me as well as the one i was in, and more. The day after passing my test he took me to London on the M4 and Chiswick flyover to learn how to drive in the real world to keep me safe. Anyone can drive fast its slow that's difficult, I can hear him telling me. I didn't realise how lucky i was at the time but looking back.....very lucky.
@stevenburt5801
5 ай бұрын
My dad worked there in the early 60's , I used to go there in the 80's to look at new Peugeot's
@ollysimpson1490
4 жыл бұрын
Sadly most of the stuff in there will be thrown in a skip by men that won’t even take the time to look at what they are discarding. Really enjoyed this, thanks for your usual great content.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Not this time, Rootes Archive have most, Im taking the albums for them and have saved some manuals already. The developer actually cares about this building and its history so is doing more than you'd expect
@benholroyd5221
4 жыл бұрын
@His Masters Voice you're more than welcome to make the case and raise the money if you want. Important thing is, the building is getting saved, if someone later on decides to turn it in to a museum then the building is still there to do that. It's a luckier fate that a lot of other listed buildings.
@LeMonkeyFondue
4 жыл бұрын
I'm sure there are plenty of takers for the engine lifts and car lifts. 😉
@Roger.Coleman1949
4 жыл бұрын
@@benholroyd5221 Exactly Ben - well put !
@SammSammmm
4 жыл бұрын
@His Masters Voice For goodness sake, what a very selfish point of view. How long would the building last if it were not used for something viable? It would fall into disrepair and ruin, as it has already started to. Sympathetically converting it into a viable use, like apartments, will guarantee if remains in place for future generations. And that's before you take into account the current housing crisis in the UK!
@dodgydruid
4 жыл бұрын
I remember as a lad my dad taking his L reg Hillman Hunter down there for one of its services, he had gotten it from a dealer in Dartford brand new and I remember the sadness of leaving his duck egg blue Triumph Herald 13/60 and coming back in this brand new turqoise metallic Hunter GL. After many BMC failures, this modern new Hunter just exceeded every expectation, it was when he part exchanged it in the late eighties still on its original clutch, its original head gasket, he had seat covers on from day one so the matching vinyl seats were pristine and the only failing was rust on the front of the wing tops but the car had never been welded either.
@David_H-73
4 жыл бұрын
I am sure I could still hear the echo of rattly tappets of the Simca/Chrysler/Talbot engines as they went up and down that ramp in 1st gear! My heart started to race when I saw all that memrobilia, so glad it is to be saved . Thank you for this amazing video.
@hamptonequipment5853
4 ай бұрын
Remember going in there with my Dad when he had a hillman minx early 70s
@carlleedham6256
Ай бұрын
I worked at a roots group garage as an apprentice in 1979 for 4 years, Brocklehurst of Chesterfield, best 4 years of my life
@jakekaywell5972
4 жыл бұрын
Ahhh, the Rootes Group. The fallen giant. It's a pity hardly anyone remembers you anymore, for all the good you did in your existence as one of Britain's leading car companies, but at least gorgeous physical reminders such as this very Art Deco dealership remain! As an aside, one Rootes Group vehicle I quite like would be the Sunbeam Rapier. The giant-beater absolutely no one expected!
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
quite, that was a great car! Such a shame they were swallowed and forgotten
@jakekaywell5972
4 жыл бұрын
@@furiousdriving I concur! Also, the Humber Super Snipe Mk. III is another favorite. Elegance formed into metal!
@ukman9797
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah my dad had a Rapier in midnight blue, 1967 I think (Reg No: RLM 587 E) Loved it as a kid, stood out, beautiful lines and went like stink!
@darrenmeears4667
4 жыл бұрын
That's one magnificent building nice to know it's going to be saved but can you imagine it being turned into a car museum. Excellent tour 👍👌
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
haha that was actually my idea! It had been empty for a while and Id just seriously starting thing about how to get funding to do than (not just as somewhere to keep my fleet...) when I saw it had been bought, but Im glad its being restored regardless
@stonecoldclassics1139
4 жыл бұрын
@@furiousdriving I think we need to do the lottery tomorrow (over £140mil i think). It can be SCC head-quarters full of mint retro cars!
@sueb8678
4 жыл бұрын
A Peugeot museum would be great! They have one in Paris. Sadly this building floods a lot and is prob one of the main reasons they moved on.
@settertwo
4 жыл бұрын
Very pleased this is going to be saved , spent 10 years at a main dealer in a similar building in the 70s , happy days soaking up the history of past glories of the motor industry , excellent video many thanks
@mpersad
4 жыл бұрын
Having lived in Maidstone from 1969 -1982 I remember this amazing art-deco building very well. Delighted that so much of it will be preserved when the site is redeveloped.
@russellpetrie119
4 жыл бұрын
im so glad its being kept and not torn down
@andyc6815
2 жыл бұрын
Amazing! I bought my 306 from Rootes and had it serviced there for years. I spent many happy hours playing snooker in the 147 Club as well!! Thanks for the trip back in time.
@elportogrande
4 жыл бұрын
I love this video! It takes me back to the days of serving my time as an Engineer. I would pass a garage not unlike this (though much smaller) and lust over the cars in the showroom whilst dreaming about what car I would drive when I passed my test. Happy days indeed!
@lloydnorth5630
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this. Spent my teenage years near Maidstone, remember this building well. A fan of Art Deco architecture, glad to hear the building is listed and to be sympathetically regenerated.
@gosportjamie
4 жыл бұрын
I imagine that the small staircase with the chrome handrails would have been the entrance for the senior management who wouldn't have been expected to enter with the sales staff or mechanics back in the '30s and '40s... It's so nice to see a part of the art deco motor industry past that is going to be saved. I started off my career working in an old art deco garage, which is now long gone under a, now closed, petrol station and the car park of a Lidl. Just about every town in the country would have had at least one art deco garage, but they're just about all gone now...
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Probably, its by the 'Len House' signed pedestrian entrance
@jetcity18
4 жыл бұрын
I lived in Maidstone for over 30 years and always loved this building. Even took my old Peugeot 309 in to have work done on it when the cost of the work was more than the cars worth! Thank you for documenting this lovely building. I’m looking forward to seeing what progress has been made on its development next time I visit the town.
@neilsheppard6673
2 жыл бұрын
What a fascinating and interesting explore, I hope those manuals can be saved and archived. So nice to see a lovely building being saved and re-purposed instead of being demolished for a supermarket or something. Many thanks!
@michaelstamper5875
3 жыл бұрын
I drove past this building I don't know how many times when I lived in Maidstone for a while. It was nice to find out more about it. Thanks.
@lmoore5264
2 жыл бұрын
t was amazing to see an abandoned dealership on the other side of the pond. The thing that surprised me most was that the place was respected and relatively intact. If that was an abandoned dealership here in the states all of the windows would be smashed and books torn and scattered about and graffiti would have covered all the walls. People here have no respect for others and it is sad. But you have done a great video. Thank you!
@johncouriermeh
4 жыл бұрын
Well I was brought up in Maidstone as well and I bought an Imp and a Hunter and a peugeot 309 and a 405 from that very dealership. An iconic building which everyone in the area knew as Rootes. Don't you hate progress. At least they shall be keeping the building shell.
@davidjames89
4 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, thank you. As a young lad, I did work experience here in the early 90s. I remember the whole building feeling quite intimidating back then, it was also extremely cold downstairs in the workshop! Probably impossible to heat; each bay had a heater pointing down towards the mechanics, above the windows- they didn't make much difference in December! I remember one of my first tasks was to clear out part of the basement. Down there were literally tons of items of literature, advertising brochures, hand books etc, all for Talbot Chrysler vehicles. All of it went into a skip, nothing was saved, even original neon and painted (enamel?) signs that would be valuable nowadays. Great times there, it was an incredible place to work and started me off in the motor trade. I hope the renovation ends up being sympathetic to this grand old building :)
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Yikes, probably binned thousands of pounds of stuff! Funny I spent an early 90s work experience emptying a council building basement, there was nothing remotely exciting!
@jeffbutler6290
4 жыл бұрын
Worked there as an apprentice in the 60's A great company to work for.
@KentishMaid
4 жыл бұрын
Awesome video, thank you for sharing - my grandparents met here, my nan was a typist in the offices and my grandad worked in the workshop, I would love to go and have a look round, to see where they met!
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Wow thats amazing! You'll be able to go and have a drink or food there if it was on the ground floor!
@Lukeashley2323
3 жыл бұрын
If i won a vast amount of money id reopen this place and turn it into a one stop shop for classic cars in all manners of work it would just be the perfect setting for workshops and a museum.
@histriamagna1014
4 жыл бұрын
What a geat example of industrial design. I hope they keep as much as possible of the original features and design.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Yes, its going back to how it was 80 years ago, which is a huge relief
@sevesellors2831
4 жыл бұрын
Great video what history and in its glory years must have been fabulous.. Ah the golden years of cars and dealerships.
@b.2221
4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely astonishing facilities. That's a car history library, and just an historical gem. Thank you very much for sharing your video Sir 👍 Tam.
@tonypp.7093
4 жыл бұрын
I've driven past and admired this deco building for years, thanks for the tour!
@AdamMacleod83
4 жыл бұрын
Loved this video, you should definitely do MORE exploration videos, your passion for the history really does show. There is nothing better than the elegance of 1930's architecture, fantastic!
@angelsone-five7912
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for an excellent tour of a lovely building. I`m so glad that the building`s future looks rosy and possibly better than that. I too hope that all the surviving history is saved for posterity. Nice one.
@cappaculla
4 жыл бұрын
Great video, and well done getting the place on video before it's all changed.
@thekitowl
4 жыл бұрын
Excellent video. I’ve driven past this building so many times & wondered what it was used for. Once people move in , this video will become an Invaluable document as to the buildings history.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Thats what I hoped, to record it before it changes
@johnrayner3940
2 жыл бұрын
Great video. Really important bit of UK motoring history. Just imagine if we still had the big four today; Ford, GM, BL, Rootes.....
@robertsmith-dr5tm
4 жыл бұрын
When he was sorting through the advertising clippings I saw Avenger. I had one of those, it was called the Cricket in the US It was a 1971in flaming red, my very first car and nothing but trouble to keep running But it was my first love and I still have fond memories of that car. I was amazed to run into this video and see where my old friend came from
@jimmys6566
4 жыл бұрын
it came from Linwood, Scotland , not Maidstone
@peterthwaites5891
4 жыл бұрын
Very pleased that for once this piece of our motoring history will be saved rather than bulldozed..
@settertwo
4 жыл бұрын
I worked for a main dealer in the 70s and in a similar building.......sadly now demolished and crappy flats built there .....shameful
@VipX1Development
3 жыл бұрын
Beautiful piece of history. It should be a museum! A body jigg, seriously... If the person making this video documentary actually needed some of these parts they would not throw them around in such a manner. I'm fortunate enough to own 2 Rootes manufactured vehicles from the 50's. 😭 New old stock! 😢
@coopers4491
4 жыл бұрын
Worked for hadley green peugeot/talbot ,who were partners with rooters back in 1919 /i started in the late 80s with a 26yr record of loyalty on the spanners/and valeting dept........ 🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧☕☕☕☕☕☕And plenty of tea!!! Good times😄😄😄😄😄
@paulsutton5896
4 жыл бұрын
1919?
@MarcusTDM
4 жыл бұрын
Great video. Very strange and what a waste that so much useful and interesting stuff had been left in there.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Im sure it will all be sold off or saved rather than dumped
@BeyondthePoint
4 жыл бұрын
Great video sir one of the classiest urban explores to date! Love a bit of old 30s architecture even the furnishings many might overlook. Good to hear it will be keeping its details into the future
@j308s7
4 жыл бұрын
Fantastic film,somewhat sad when you think what has gone on here,but great that the building is listed and will be saved.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Thats the good thing, better than it falling into ruin
@thomash2806
4 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful place! Flooded with natural light. And it’s so good that it’s all listed. Amazing. I love architecture from that era. My employer used to put us up in a hotel in the redeveloped 1923 Lingotto Fiat factory in Turin, also listed of course. The modern style of the 20s and 30s is so optimistic and forward-looking. So evocative. Thank-you for the visit! Those documents, photos etc must be saved!
@philtowle4683
3 жыл бұрын
I am really jealous, someone I worked with in aerospace was booked in a different hotel and was advised to change to this one. Its the one with the test track on the roof from the Italian Job isn't it?
@thomash2806
3 жыл бұрын
@@philtowle4683 I believe so
@asfhyujtg324
4 жыл бұрын
I want *all* of them old manuals!!! Great video as always
@patrickjmorgan
4 жыл бұрын
Wow oh Wow- Ive lived in Maidstone for 33 years and wondered what it looked like inside. I used to own and work on Imps!
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Ive never been in either! I was really excited to get in there
@patrickjmorgan
4 жыл бұрын
furiousdriving I’ve shared it on Maidstone Past FB page! People will want to see this! Thanks for doing it.
@patrickjmorgan
4 жыл бұрын
@@furiousdriving Your video has been well-recieved on the Maidston Past FB page- Thanks again for sharing this with us!
@cliffm6566
4 жыл бұрын
Incredible building, it’s amazing the stuff that just gets left behind when businesses close down. There’s a ton of stuff there that should be saved and sold.
@chrisbury4635
4 жыл бұрын
What an amazing place, love this kind of thing, pure nostalgia right there, hope all that memorabilia gets saved !!
@darronainsworth3692
3 жыл бұрын
I worked there till 2010 . Many of us techs used to have lunch on the roof enjoying the views or in the 147 snooker club. I was even involved on the famous mid night new registered car handovers . Always had to have a few techs on standby just in case something went wrong . Many happy years in that building . There is something to be said about putting the first set of number plates on a brand new car and being the first person to drive the new cars on the road .
@daweshorizon
3 жыл бұрын
The Showroom Cinema in Sheffield is worth a look. Another amazing piece of automotive architecture from the Thirties, on the exterior at least. The Cinema shows good quality films and is a great use for an old space, but little remains of the past on the inside. Modern car showrooms from the remaining manufacturers, tend to flock together on out-of-town trading estates, and are even more bland than the products they're selling. I hope the photos, books and spare parts were all saved. The scrap-books were amazing, really highlighting how Rootes were keeping a close eye on the competition, a really important social record of the past. Thank you for sharing this video of an amazing building. Love and peace.
@Levenstone132
4 жыл бұрын
Now this is spooky,just drove past this glorious building this morning remembering the days back in the '80s when I used to go there to carry out signwriting with my friend Steve.We worked on Talbot Express ,big Dodge badged vans and the first Merc mini buses M&D had.Downstairs where those 2 posters are was where the coachbuilding shop was.Mostly mini bus /specially adapted vehicles. Opposite the big doors at the end was the commercial paint shop,that went to make way for the car sales area. Jack,George and Fred were the painters and the upstairs the car body shop was run by a gentleman named Gerry if memory serves me well. Those big south facing windows seemed to keep it warm and airy, Haynes's workshop could get a bit chilly if the door was left open,you don't move around much pushing a lettering brush! So glad to see it's going to get sympathetically refurbished. One disappointing thing though,your discovery of the 405 manual has devalued mine by half,only worth £2.50 now! Wonderful video sir.Thankyou.
@abbafan50986
4 жыл бұрын
That photo book at around the 21 minute mark seems to be mostly, if not all, Rochester. The photo at 21:49 is almost definitely Rochester, there's a patch of land round the corner from the main building that now stands empty. The trainline running behind it was the biggest clue. Also, the photos at 22:21 and 22:30 taken in front of a stone wall, they were taken on the Rochester esplanade by the stairs that lead up to the castle
@Lighting_Desk
4 жыл бұрын
Gorgeous building! I bet the smells were amazing too!
@paulbroderick8438
2 жыл бұрын
Beautiful classic structure. And the natural light from those windows. Now enclosed shoe box design rules the day.
@henryhol8538
3 жыл бұрын
Wow! This building is as old as my Parents! Come to think of it, our first Family car was a Hilman Minx,a Rootes group car. Luckily my Dad replaced with a Svelte Fiat 850 Coupe.
@davidfall7905
4 жыл бұрын
I can remember my Dad buying a new comma van in the 70s & watching it come down the ramp. Over the years he bought Simcas, Talbots & Peugeot.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
So many memories tried up in that building
@adriancaldwell
4 жыл бұрын
Amazing and fascinating. Tremendous chance to escape into the past from the current situation. Thanks
@geoffisaac3511
2 жыл бұрын
Nice to hear someone talking seriously sensible
@mgabrielle2343
2 жыл бұрын
I worked as a semi skilled mechanic for A E Talbot & Sons in Upminster and they were Rootes Dealers around 1973.
@rgibbfan
4 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful video! Growing up in Maidstone "I'll pick you up outside the Roots garage" was a common phrase in our household. I happen to now work for the Caffyns group - working ouy of their original Head Office & Showroom in Eastbourne.
@morlrd
4 жыл бұрын
Paul Shergold - In 1965, I bought a 1959 Morris Mini from Caffyns in Seaford, for £259! The after-sales service was so utterly excellent, that you'd have thought that I'd bought a brand-new top-of-the-range Wolseley, or some such. Subsequently, when my Mini was in for a service, they used to LEND me a Wolseley 15/60. What a TREAT that was, and I don't think that anyone had heard of "courtesy cars", then.
@nelsona779
3 жыл бұрын
What an awesome building 👏 😎 thanks for sharing 👍
@chuckbradley1
4 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. I love history and nostalgia. Learned something new today. Thanks.
@TheJohnboy123
4 жыл бұрын
Brilliant presentation!
@bobspeller2225
4 жыл бұрын
What a great record and presentation of the fantastic Roots empire. I also agree that there is so much history, parts and documents etc that must be saved. I hope you can help to make this happen, it brings back good memories for me as I started my working life in a Roots dealership.
@paulpascoe5200
3 жыл бұрын
My first job leaving school aged 16 in 1985 was in that building. At that time we converted Mercedes vans into mini buses for the Maidstone bus company. What a trip down memory lane hope they keep the outside of the building.
@ainsleyperry5192
4 жыл бұрын
Furiousdriving, Well I never thought I'd this see after 55 years. In 1964 I took the bus with my best mate Charlie Pearce and his Mum and Dad to go to town to pick up their new Humber Super Snipe from the show room there.. In 1964 the car was only the 7th on our street, Plains Avenue. Every time we went to town the bus alway's passed the Rootes building. When the Hillman Imp was first released the front of the building had bunting all over the front. A name from the past, Pudding Lane. As a young boy there was a war hero who had lost both leg's would sit all day in an home made wheel barrow with his begging cup. He.d be under the roof summer and winter.Many thoughts from the past have come rushing back. Thank you Cheers Chris Perry.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Ive been amazed at the memories this has evoked, this place means something to almost everyone in Maidstone
@gryfandjane
4 жыл бұрын
My goodness, what a fascinating tour! I hope some of that history finds its way to collectors.
@llamedosr7843
Жыл бұрын
I'm glad the old facade is remaining. I noticed the roof is now off. You get a good view from the Brenchley pub garden
@furiousdriving
Жыл бұрын
It’s getting a new roof with set back penthouse apartments up there that can’t be seen from the ground. I’m so relieved it’s being saved
@mazdaman1286
4 жыл бұрын
Should be preserved 👍👍👍👍
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
It got lucky with the plan to repurpose and save it, thankfully
@manofthehour6856
3 жыл бұрын
WOW!!! Thanks for documenting this historically relevant site! Fantastic!
@tinniswood2577
4 жыл бұрын
Fantastic, thanks for showing us a tremendous building. I bet there are a million stories that could be told within that place.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely!
@johnfarr1193
4 жыл бұрын
FuriousDriving: THANK YOU so much for this....I watched with total fascination and couldn't believe where the 30 mins went!! extremely informative and very well presented. Thanks again. Total respect to you.
@steve_o379
4 жыл бұрын
This is brilliant so much history. Great video
@jetblack6953
4 жыл бұрын
Matt,thanks for a fascinating insight to this amazing building and it's history. I hate to think of that paperwork being thrown away.
@bonosbones
4 жыл бұрын
Ideal spot for a redevelopment. Iconic building bang in the center. They wil need triple glazing to keep the sound out as it is very busy road there.The Peugeot dealership has always looked pretty grotty from the outside. Let's hope all the old documents will be saved.
@MadBiker-vj5qj
4 жыл бұрын
Oh wow this brings back memories of when my father took me to see the building in the 1970's, from the outside, It's great to see what the inside was like.
@ianjuffs7862
4 жыл бұрын
Great to see the old place I worked there from 1990to 96 started as a yts training then got a job valeting cars and then working on the used car site I got to see all the places in the building great staircases there i saw some nice features of the place . Now my own boss got my oew company restoring classic and vintage BMW's.
@timspooner59
4 жыл бұрын
I recall in about 1960 a Rootes showroom on Lord Street in Southport. One of the "poshest" buildings on Lord Street, huge showroom windows etc. Beyond our wildest dreams then.
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
They were all about the show, make a big impression and sell a car!
@stendecstretcher4983
4 жыл бұрын
It was opposite the fire station. Cowrie Kirkby I was the panel beater there 1982-1985
@lesklower7281
3 жыл бұрын
Top video watched it several times
@philtowle4683
3 жыл бұрын
When working at Rolls-Royce in Derby I used to be in the OED building which had been at the end of the car production line. It had a fantastic wood paneled meeting room that has now been changed to the entrance and hidden under the metal roof was the frame of the original glazed roof. There were other nice retro features here and there. Much more interesting than any modern building.
@viggoevensen708
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a very good presentation of the Roots showroom. My father had a 1950 - 52’ish Commer Express built to a station car with back seats. In front of the back wheel housings there was a small seat cushion to sit on, so it could be 2 adults and 2 children in the back. The childre on the smal side cushions. He had large side windows installed behind the front doors, it was a 2 door car with cargo doors in the back, so we had a good view from the back seat. And of cause there was no safety belts. We had lots of tours in Norway with that car. My father was a painter, so he needed the cargo area in the back. I think it was at 1000 - 1200 cm2 side ventilated engine with 36 hp and a 4 speed with a steering column gear stick. It was bought from the Norwegian importer Kollberg & Caspary, also called kostbart og langvarig as in “costly and slowly”. On top of the steering wheel hub was the switch for the turning arrows, just like the one shown in your videos of other Roots cars. The turning arrows came out of the side of the car just behind the doors, and it was essential to turn it of before the passenger opened the door to leave the car. If the arrow was left out it was a great risk that the passenger, and of cause the driver himself, to walk into it and break It off. He had to change it himself several times. I also remember him changing the cooler thermostat for a summer and a winter type. He had it until the mid-60’s and was an it was an exceptionally reliable car. It was sold due to rust, comfort and safety. I cannot remember it ever stopped or broke down.
@sgresh8549
3 жыл бұрын
Super video hope someone saves all the parts and memorabilia
@bonkeydollocks1879
4 жыл бұрын
Apparently at this place every night at midnight for a couple of minutes, if you face east, hold a candle, and recite Severn times rootes, rootes, rootes, rootes, rootes, rootes, rootes and listen very carefully you can still hear the faint sound of the chrysler alpine tappets in the distance 😷😅
@furiousdriving
4 жыл бұрын
but they never get any closer...
@MGBetts1
4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely fascinating snapshot in time. It won't be staying like this for long, so I'm glad you did all this when you had the chance.
@joaofarinha7953
4 жыл бұрын
For a second I wondered if I was in the wrong channel! Furious driving doing urban exploration?? Really enjoyed the tour and history of this building. Keep it up 🙂
@flemmingsorensen5470
4 жыл бұрын
Epic place - Epic video! Absolutely fantastic.
@brianfield792
4 жыл бұрын
Great video, what an amazing building,even the staircases were beautiful. I hope all the books and items are all saved. So glad the building is being saved. great to see the old photos,
@FuriousKnight
4 жыл бұрын
This was my local Peugeot dealer for years I’ve always been interested to see inside I’ve always walked by and been fascinated by the buildings design.
@Chipchase780
4 жыл бұрын
Fascinating video thank you. This is the home of my 1960 twin carb Singer Gazelle. I’d had the old cast iron engine overhauled around 1994 and was able to get new old stock pistons and rings in their original grease paper box, sealed in 1959 probably . A very solidly engineered high quality car, but showing its age by the time I parted with it for £700.00.
@bradwright9673
4 жыл бұрын
Great video. Lived in Maidstone a lot of years and only been into the sales and service depts so a great insight and good to see its being sympathetically saved . The 147 snooker club as well I forgot that was there!
@ultimatesquidgaming4782
2 ай бұрын
Awesome video; what a beautiful 1930s building!
@furiousdriving
2 ай бұрын
It really is! one of my favourites
@mpbltd1
4 жыл бұрын
Wonderful video again Matt. Thanks for keeping our spirits up in these difficult times.
@robsmithracing
4 жыл бұрын
I’ve passed this every day for years and didn’t know the history, thank you for this.
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