Williams celebrates 50 years with new Iveco S-WAY
Huntingdon's Williams takes new Iveco S-WAY anniversay present
News - Colin Barnett
April 12, 2021
South Wales DAF dealer, Watts Truck and Van Centre, has received the business equivalent of a telegram from the Queen, a Companies House Centenary Certificate. The certificates are awarded in recognition of 100 years of registration as a limited company.
The Watts business began across the River Wye at Lydney in the Forest of Dean, well before the end of the nineteenth century. The limited company was formed after World War 1, after Arthur Watts travelled to Greece and bought 200 Albions, mostly chain-driven. They were repaired and converted from military spec to make them suitable for a sale to a variety of civilian businesses, including oil suppliers, dairies, breweries and general hauliers.
This began an association with Albion which effectively continues to this day, thanks to the continuity which morphed through the various Leyland sagas to become today’s DAF. Watts of Lydney was one the first Albion concessionaires, covering South Wales, Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester. The business also handled repair and maintenance of all types of commercial vehicles, and was also involved in early development work on the ascendant diesel engine.
This has led us to wonder just which is the UK’s oldest commercial vehicle dealer, still in business. If you know of any more, please get in touch with Colin.Barnett@roadtransport.com.
