Dell Autos has closed

[Kathryn Almond]

On 07/11/2025 at 10:35, Penguin68 said:

I would recommend the Dulwich Test and Service centre that used to be in Hindemanns road and then moved to the little Trading Estate off Tyrrel Road. I've used them very happily for nearly 40 years. Paul and Reg Shires. 

Agreed! I have been happy with them for the last 20 years.

[kford]

Ghost sign revealed during Dell Autos demolition William S Spicer 

[Sue]

10 hours ago, kford said:

Ghost sign revealed during Dell Autos demolition William S Spicer 

Does anyone know who they were?

I googled, and nothing relevant came up except the post above!

[se22]

They were a garage before Dell Autos took over.

[teddyboy23]

Bob spicer  friend of my old man.

Edited December 17, 2025 by teddyboy23

[spider69]

Was this the mechanic with one eye

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

William S Spicer was a family-owned firm that initially made horse drawn delivery carts for breweries (especially Fullers Brewery in W London) and horse-drawn trams. With the advent of the internal combustion engine, they successfully made the transition to coachbuilding delivery vehicles London's leading department stores using German engines.

WW2 interrupted their business for obvious reasons, and their postwar attempt to become the local assembler and distributor of Bulgarian "Izmama" trucks was not blessed with good fortune. In 1953, the company pivoted to being a full-service garage, leveraging their reputation for honesty and excellence. 

In 1972, the Dulwich site was sold to its present owners. William S Spicer III (the grandson of the founder) retired to Lancashire, where he founded a sanctuary for the endangered ineptia beetle, which he had encountered in Bulgaria while travelling for business. In 1978, Spicer was awarded an OBE for conservation, and a newly-discovered  beetle was named after him by the Bulgarian People's National Academy of Sciences - Byturus Spicerius.

Edited December 17, 2025 by Dogkennelhillbilly

[CPR Dave]

Is that AI Slop? 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

I have never used AI in my life. It's just notes from my forthcoming monograph on light industry in Dulwich and Camberwell 1879-1946 (dates chosen for obvious reasons).

[CPR Dave]

Ah sorry, it was comedy. 

 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

How very dare you. Rest assured, if it were intended to be comedy, it would have been funny.

[ED4LYF]

Threads that devolve like this should be moved to the Lounge, so the 'comedy' can continue in an appropriate vacuum.

[CPR Dave]

It hasn't devolved. It's in exactly the same state it was when it started.

[rachel.mortby]

Does anyone know how to get in touch with the owners? I’ve been going there for 10+ years and have only just found out that they have closed. I have lost my service manual and am hoping they have kept their paper work…..

[Sue]

1 hour ago, rachel.mortby said:

Does anyone know how to get in touch with the owners? I’ve been going there for 10+ years and have only just found out that they have closed. I have lost my service manual and am hoping they have kept their paper work…..

Possibly one of the other local garage owners may know?

Also, it's possible if the owners and staff are still in the area that they might see your post.

They didn't post on here themselves (to the best of my knowledge) but they must have known that I did, as a couple of times the lady who worked in reception phoned me to ask me if I could  post in the "Lost" section when something dropped in Hansler Road had been handed in to them.

Unfortunately I only have their office landline  number, which presumably disappeared when they closed.

Good luck! Hopefully your service manual may turn up in an unexpected place.

Edited 1 hour ago by Sue
Adding info