RUMCars Forum

General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: richard on April 28, 2015, 09:41:17 pm

Title: Petbows , Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: richard on April 28, 2015, 09:41:17 pm: connection anyone ? John ?
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: Stuart Cyphus on April 28, 2015, 10:47:23 pm: Yes there was. Petbows bought out the entire engineering side of Vernon Industries (and possibly the entire Vernon company full stop) in 1961 & closed the Merseyside factory down after transferring all assets to Sandwich. Read all about it in my forthcoming Big Book of invalid carriages.....
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead e?
Post by: Big Al on April 28, 2015, 11:56:59 pm: Is that a filler, or a whole slice of a chapter?

I was wondering if it ought to be called The Big Blue Book of Invalid Carriages. Like The Red Book of Westmarch, only different.
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: richard on April 29, 2015, 06:10:14 am: Thanks Stuart that's the further info I was after , strange connection between Gordon's /Friskys though isn't it
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead e?
Post by: Bob Purton on April 29, 2015, 08:57:34 am: Quote from: Big Al on April 28, 2015, 11:56:59 pm
Is that a filler, or a whole slice of a chapter?

I was wondering if it ought to be called The Big Blue Book of Invalid Carriages. Like The Red Book of Westmarch, only different.

Will be read with relish!
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: Big Al on April 29, 2015, 10:28:56 am: Petbows Limited would seem to have been naughty boys. I find in Hansard that the renege on the deal to buy, and insure employment on the Wirral, was altered quickly leading to the closure of Vernons only weeks after purchase. Vernons having previously gained aerospace contracts from the Government to boost employment in the area. This landed Lord Thornycroft an accusation of misleading the house, from no lesser person than Mr Wilson. The day, and age, where Labour stood for the working man and would have hotly debated such a dodgy deal diverting jobs away from one area to another against an interventionist social policy. They got away with it, and the impression is that Vernons were asset stripped.

There is mention of Petbows making a scooter. I wonder if that was unwanted plunder from another strategic purchase. Given there area of expertise, I guess Mercury. Not time to look it up at the moment.
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: richard on April 29, 2015, 10:58:36 am: All the stuff I was going to put in the next RUM , my fault but I wanted a bit more info -yep I have the Hansard for it
Title: Re: Petbows Sandwich - Gordon , Birkenhead
Post by: richard on April 29, 2015, 12:58:23 pm: Only Vernons Industries was sold of with its , very lucrative , aerospace contracts . The parent outfit Vernons Pools reached an even more dodgy ending - read all about it ;)