Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]History
The Galloway factory was close to the River Dee and had a dam fitted with water turbines to provide power, supplemented by a steam engine. It also had two tennis courts on the roof
The company was very unusual in the world of car making as it was mainly staffed by women.
For a while the cars were advertised as “a car made by ladies for others of their sex”.
The factory had originally been built as a wartime aero engine plant and Thomas Pullinger the manager of Arrol-Johnston, was persuaded by his daughter Dorothee Pullinger to keep the factory open to provide local employment.
She was made a director of the new enterprise and set up training courses and apprenticeships specifically for local women.
The apprenticeships were to last for three rather than the usual five years as the girls were thought to be better at attending and quicker learners than boys.
The cars were sturdy and straight forward and a one model policy was pursued with, at first, the 10/20, which was heavily influenced by the Fiat 501.
It was not however a good time to launch a new car and only a few hundred were made before the Tongland factory was forced to close in 1923 and production moved to the parent works at Heathall which had plenty of spare capacity.
The Tongland factory was later used to make silk.
A second, larger, Galloway model, the 12, essentially an Arrol-Johnston, replaced the 10/20 in 1925 and remained in production until Arrol-Johnston itself closed in 1928 and Galloway Motors was formally wound up. In all a total of around 4000 Galloway cars were produced.
Dorothée and her husband went on to set up using new American machinery White Services Laundries Limited in Croydon which soon had 17 shops.
This 1925 Galloway.
Whilst staying with Gavin and Penny at the beautiful Knockolmie Hotel in Forres on the outskirts of the Cairngorms it was soon obvious that Gavin and Gordon had a lot more in common than wining and dining.
The conversation soon turned to an MGBGT that was in one of the sheds which we still haven’t looked at. Then the tale of how his Alvis TD21 needs a sympathetic recommissioning, his interest in steam trains, some track that he just happened to have and then the Dumfries built 1925 Galloway. The latter I must admit stumped me, which doesn’t happen very often.
Thursday night as I was having a drink in the bar a sound came rattling up the driveway with Gavin, cap round the wrong way and looking very much the part came to a halt, big beaming smile and waved.
As you will see the 1925 Galloway has been rebodied in aluminum as a beautiful boatail.
The engine rocker has the name and place of origin.
I must say I love it and a little bit jealous.
My advice is book a nice weekend away in the beautiful Morayshire in the north of Scotland and I am sure Gavin would love to tell you all about it.
If your also into another fine product of Scotland, then the whisky shelf will be a must and Penny who is an expert on all things whisky will be very willing to help the uninitiated.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19177,19178,19179,19180,19181,19182,19183,19184,19185,19186,19174,19175″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
