Aston Auto's

[blownthames]

Hi.
Looking for info or pics of Aston Autos' in aston road or mca in victoria road up untill the 80's...did you work there?

Rrgards
Barry

 

[brummie nick]

Don't have any pictures, but I did buy an AJS 500 twin from them in 1956.

 

[mw0njm.]

brummienick.great stuff my dad had a ajs speed twin combo pete

 

[The Baron]

HAD MY 1ST& 2ND MOTOR SCOOTERS FROM ASTON AUTOS BACK IN LATE FIFTIES.
The first one I will never for get this was the fiorst time I had a motor scooter & the sales man put me on it, started it. pointed me in the direction of rudders & paynes and let go.I learnt very quick

 

[mw0njm.]

postie.i know that shop .it was in gosta green,sheepcote st ,i think pete

 

[Dave Ed]

Wasn't Aston Autos on the corner of Dartmouth st opposite Premier motors the Austin dealers.

Dave

 

[mw0njm.]

dave down a bit nearly at aston brook st,bothsides of road pete

 

[Big Bri]

Postie,

The picture is of Motor Sales, part of the Copes (Bearwood) motorcycle empire. There was another branch of Motor Sales in Smethwick.

As mwOnjm says it was lower down towards Aston Brook Street. There was a cellar under the shop and they used to put older part exchange bikes down there. I had a few bargains from amongst them, an Excelsior Talisman Twin and an AJS 350 scrambler come to mind.

Blownthames,

Aston Autos started life in the back garden of the mother of the founder of the company, Billy Homer. He started out using the garden shed and the floor was dug out so that you could stand up in it with a bike on a ramp. Billy used to buy second hand bikes and my father used to repair and renovate them for Billy to sell. When Billy had built up the business enough to go full time he had a partner called Bert Mason. They eventually started the wholesale business MCA in Victoria Road and also had a manufacturing business, Auto Tools in Chester Street which made all the special tools sold by MCA as well as making them for Sykes Pickavant. I still have quite a few of these tools. Sykes Pickavant bought Auto Tools in the end. My father worked there after Norton Motors moved from Birmingham.

I have photographs of Billy as he was my father's Best Man at his wedding.

 

[mw0njm.]

BIG BRI.i did not know who owned aston autos,but they were very helpfull.to novice bikers pete

 

[Dave P]

M.C.A (Aston) Ltd was still trading 2 years ago when I last visited them on business. A Mr Brown was the MD and they made and sold components and spares for old classic motorbikes. Located at 38-50 Victoria Rd.

 

[mick]

yes i was an apprentice there in 1962-1967 and would like to hear from any other workmates, esp john pearce who was my tutor at the time.
does any one remember him or still have contact.
regards mick.

 

[Astonian]

hi yes aston autos
i had my first motor bike from there around 1959 -60 BSA BANTAM 125 ; when growing up along the rd from the shop
from my baby years to teenage years when walking down to white house street to grand mothers i alaways stopped and looked at the bike through the windows when closed or on my way to the coffee shops of my grand parents ; and always dreamt of getting a bike from the day i could walk and see these bikes then the day came many years later i had my dream come true ; i worked and saved like mad
my mother was agaist it but i still got one one day on a sunday at the old six ways out side burlington hall i got stopped by a copper whom was walking down on foot and pulled me in to asked why was i carring a passenger on the back whilst having the l plates on ; he ordred my brother off and to walk
i got a fine of ten bob note in the post ; great bike ; great memorys nice one ; astonian ;;

 

[Scoot-66]

Postie,

The picture is of Motor Sales, part of the Copes (Bearwood) motorcycle empire. There was another branch of Motor Sales in Smethwick.

As mwOnjm says it was lower down towards Aston Brook Street. There was a cellar under the shop and they used to put older part exchange bikes down there. I had a few bargains from amongst them, an Excelsior Talisman Twin and an AJS 350 scrambler come to mind.

Blownthames,

Aston Autos started life in the back garden of the mother of the founder of the company, Billy Homer. He started out using the garden shed and the floor was dug out so that you could stand up in it with a bike on a ramp. Billy used to buy second hand bikes and my father used to repair and renovate them for Billy to sell. When Billy had built up the business enough to go full time he had a partner called Bert Mason. They eventually started the wholesale business MCA in Victoria Road and also had a manufacturing business, Auto Tools in Chester Street which made all the special tools sold by MCA as well as making them for Sykes Pickavant. I still have quite a few of these tools. Sykes Pickavant bought Auto Tools in the end. My father worked there after Norton Motors moved from Birmingham.

I have photographs of Billy as he was my father's Best Man at his wedding.