News

7 October 2009

End of the road

One of the region’s oldest family-owned businesses will pass into history next week when its machinery and equipment is sold off at auction and the gates are closed for the last time.

The Epworth Motor Works has a history dating back almost a century, to the early days of motoring. At one stage the range of the company’s activities even included manufacturing bicycles.

For the past half century the works has specialised in engine reconditioning, latterly becoming very well known in the world of vintage and classic vehicle restoration.

At the height of its success the firm employed a team of eight people, training many young apprentices over the years, but as demand for engine reconditioning declined that number shrank to just one person  – the owner Arthur Bruce.

“Progress has done for us,” says Arthur. “In the old days engines went and people had them fixed. Now thanks to design improvements and improved lubrication engines last much longer and when they do go people just throw them away.”

“Recently my work has been almost exclusively on older engines, particularly for vintage and classic vehicles, and even then the volume of that work has not been great. There comes a time when you have to move on.”

The works on Chapel Street in the centre of Epworth is to be levelled and the site will be redeveloped as a parade of shops, with residential development above. Meanwhile the works equipment and machinery is to be sold off at an auction on the site next Tuesday (October 13th).

Paul Cooper of industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management, who are handling the disposal, said: “The auction is attracting international interest, not least because of the incredible condition of the kit.  It is exceptional.”

“There is for example one machine, a Prince crankshaft grinder, that you would think was maybe five or six years old. In fact Prince no longer exists and the machine is twenty years old.”

“We have already received enquiries from China, Egypt and the Philippines about that. I would be amazed if it did not make £8,000, despite its age.”

“One of the most interesting lots . . . which indicates the one time importance of this local firm . . . is a machine that was actually designed by Arthur’s father, also Arthur, and manufactured by a Canadian company that he had links with, Ingenious Devices Limited.

“It is a centre-less valve re-facing machine, which does not sound very exciting until you understand that it took engine valve regrinding to completely new levels of accuracy. Since the patents lapsed the design has been copied by manufacturers all over the world.”

“The Epworth Motor Works were the IDL agents for the UK and the example that we have in the auction is the very first of the machines to be brought to Britain.”

Paul added: “The auction includes some very good machine tools, a lot of ancillary equipment and even a 1965 Taylor Jumbo mobile crane, which started life in the army, but remains in tip-top condition forty four years after it first hit the road.”

“The specialist engine reconditioning equipment is most likely going to be snapped up by buyers from abroad, particularly the developing world, or people involved in classic car work. That’s the big market for this stuff. Other lots will be of interest to motor repair businesses and indeed other industrial companies.”

The auction extends to around 250 lots. The viewing session for the sale is on Monday (12th October) from 9.30am to 4.30pm and from 8.30am on Tuesday morning until the start of the sale at 11am. Catalogues are available via the firm’s website at www.cjmasset.com.

Further information from Paul Cooper at CJM Asset Management on 01724-334411