Good Garages in the South West

(Note that these establishments are Reader Recommendations only. No responsibility for their details, reliability or continuing existence will be accepted by the Publisher.)

Bath

Ron Cray Automatics (Prop. Ian Chant), High Littleton Garage, High Street, High Littleton, Bath BS39 6HW, tel: 01761 472295.
(Recommended automatic gearbox specialist.)

Grants of Bath, London Road West, Bath, tel 01225 858 147.
(Small and outwardly rather chaotic private garage, but always knowledgeable, helpful and very reasonably priced. Ask for Nigel.)

Bridgwater

Tim Stiles Racing, Units 5 & 6, Transform Estate, Wylds Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4DH, tel: 01278 453036. (VW/Audi performance modifications at reasonable prices and labour rates.)

Stogursey Motors, High Street, Stogursey (8 miles from Bridgwater near Hinkley Point power station), tel: 01278 732237. (Car, van and motorcycle repairs and MOTs.)

Bristol

All Audi Used Part Stores, Units 26/26, Hanham Business Park, Memorial Road, Hanham, Bristol BS15 3JE, tel: 0117 949 4136; mobile: 0860 259567.
(Good source of parts for obsolete Audis.)

R.J. Auto Engineers, Whitehouse Lane, Bedminster, Bristol, tel: 01179 632029. (SAAB and Alfa specialists.)

Cotswold Sports Cars, A38 at Thornbury, near Bristol, tel: 01454 412413. (General maintenance and repairs.)

Jamsaab Keynsham, Unit 22, Durley Lane, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 2AJ; tel: 0117 986 9997. (Genuine Saab enthusiasts with superb technical knowledge and brilliant customer service.)

Castle Carey

Moff Motors, Castle Carey, Somerset (near Castle Carey station on Shepton Mallet road), tel: 01963 350310. (Independent dealers with good after-sales service.)

Corfe Mullen

Westover Nissan, 149/153 Wareham Road, Corfe Mullen, Dorset, tel: 01202 693681. (Former Rover dealer, now Nissan. Very highly recommended.)

Crewkerne

Misterton Garage, Misterton, Crewkerne, Somerset, tel: 01460 72997. (Ford retail dealer, good for servicing and repairs, reasonable prices.)

Dorchester

Loders, Dorchester, Dorset, tel: 01305 267881. (Good franchised Audi dealer service.)

Old's Jeep, Dorchester. (Good franchised Chrysler dealer service.)

Exeter

Volkswagen Services, 11 Coombe Street, Exeter, Devon EX1 1DB, tel: 01392 493737. Carrs of Exeter, tel: 01392 823988. (Good Mercedes and Porsche service.)

Reg and Paul Stephens, Snow and Stephens, King Edward Street, Exeter, tel: 01392 256552.

Rockbeare Motor Services, Rockbeare, Exeter EX5 2DZ, tel: 01404 822410.

Best Tyres, Verney Street, Exeter, tel: 01392 411100. (Low prices, good service and excellent for suspension alignment.)

Exmouth

Karl Brigham, KB Auto Services and Repairs, Victoria Way, Exmouth, Devon, tel: 01395 223330.

Bentleys Garage, Chapel Hill (High Street), Exmouth, Devon, tel: 01395 272048.

Frenchay

Frenchay Garage, Frenchay Common, Frenchay, Bristol BS16 1NB, tel: 0117 956 7303.

Frome

Marston MOT Centre, Whitworth Road, Marston Trading Estate, Frome, Somerset BA11 4BY, tel: 01373 452352. (Proprietor Stewart Herridge. Very reasonably priced local independent garage.)

Langport

J.A. Scott, Langport Motor Co., Westover Trading Estate, Langport, Somerset, tel: 01458 251100. (Citroen specialist.)

Launceston

East Cornwall Garages, Western Rd, Launceston, Cornwall. Tel: 01566 775516. (Owned and run by two brothers who provide good service, tell you the truth and charge fairly.)

Liskeard

Ken Rowe, Rowe's Garage Ltd, Dobwalls, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 6JA, tel: 01579 320218. (Citroen franchise, but will gladly help owners of other makes in trouble.)

Newton Abbot

K. Tapper, Decoy Motors, Unit 10, Silverhills Road, Decoy Trading Estate, Newton Abbot TQ12 5LZ, tel: 01626 68701.

Paignton

Geoff Norman, G M Motors, Unit 1 Miglo Industrial Estate, Yalberton Rd, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7QW, tel: 01803 664466. (Excellent, small, non-franchised repairs and servicing plus MOTs and tyres.)

Penzance

Autostop Service Centre, Longrock, nr Penzance, Cornwall, tel: 01736 330300. (Excellent, non-franchised service and repair garage.)

Plymouth

Simon Rouse, Peverell Garage, Weston Park Road, Peverell, Plymouth, Devon PL3 4NS, tel: 01752 266099.

South Molton

Andrew Geen, Geen's Garage, South Molton, North Devon, tel: 01769 572395.

Taunton

Paul Lyall, Fairwater Garage, Staplegrove Road, Taunton TA1 1DF, tel: 01823 277268.

MJ Auto and Commercial, Units 1 and 2, Canal Road, Taunton TA1 1PL, tel: 01823 271364. (Mainly commercial, but did excellent work, at short notice and competitively priced, on a customer's Citroen ZX. They had been recommended by an AA patrol.)

Truro

Truro Motor Services, Unit 6, Oak Way, Truro, Cornwall; tel: 01872 276110. (Independent Mercedes specialist run by an ex-main dealer technician.)

Wadebridge

John Smith, Old Forge Garage, St Miniver, Wadebridge, Cornwall, tel: 01208 863323.

Wellington

Grants Repairs, Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset, tel: 01823 662067. (Independent BMW specialist - chief mechanic Trevor Klimpke.)

Weston-Super-Mare

Howards Citroen (tel: 01934 644644) and Howards Rover (tel: 01934 643434) both of Hildersheim Bridge, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 3PT.

Howards Peugeot (tel: 01934 636049), Searle Crescent, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 3YX.

Howards Nissan (tel: 01934 416454), Herluin Way, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 3YN. (Howards are franchised agents for Citroen, Rover, Peugeot and Nissan - all, very unusually, in the same town.)

Yeovil

Eastside Garage, Lufton Trading Estate, Yeovil, Somerset, tel: 01935 31412. (Citroen specialist.)

Auto Wizard, Penhill Trading Estate, Yeovil, Somerset, tel: 01935 410532.

Douglas Seaton Ltd, White Post Garage, West Coker Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 9AA, tel: 01935 863008; fax: 01935 863047. (Longstanding and loyal customer base.)

Philip Sargent Vehicle Services, Goldcroft, Yeovil, Somerset, tel: 01935 427554. ('Ever ready to go the "extra mile" when you are in a fix.')