West Hampstead's Fix Auto UK celebrates 75th anniversary

AB Dyne Motors Ltd was started in 1949 by George Wright in Dyne Road, West Hampstead, to service, manage and repair black cabs.

After a disastrous fire two years later, the business moved round the corned to Iverson Road, where it has been based ever since.

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The business passed to George's sons Philip, Freddie, in the early 1970s, and Philip's son Matt took control shortly before the business joined Fix Auto UK as a franchise in 2011.

Matt Wright's father, Philip, and uncle Freddie when they ran AB Dyne Ltd (Image: Fix Auto UK/AB Dyne)

Managing director Matt and his team - representing two other sites at Fix Auto High Wycombe and Fix Auto Hoddesdon - joined Fix Auto UK representatives and suppliers to celebrate the firm's 75th anniversary.

He said: “We believe we are one of, if not, the oldest vehicle repairer in London and, I’m pretty sure, there can’t be many repairers in the UK that have continuously been repairing vehicles since the 1940s.

Matt Wright outside Fix Auto West Hampstead (Image: Fix Auto UK)

"When you look back, as a family business operating for 75 years is an achievement we’re extremely proud of. For me, though, I just think we’re getting going…” Mr Wright said.

Fix Auto UK is part of a global franchise network of more than 925 bodyshops. The network carries out more than 150,000 body repairs per year.

A newspaper clipping of the fire that destroyed the original AB Dyne Ltd premises two years after it opened (Image: Fix Auto UK)

Its operations director Mark Hutchins added: “It’s not every day a business celebrates 75 continual years trading, it really is a monumental achievement for what Matt, his family and his team have achieved to get to where they are today.

"Fix Auto West Hampstead is clearly growing from strength to strength, it really is a case of here’s to another 75 years.”