PETE AITKENHEAD

1957-2026

Fowlers’ veteran parts manager, Pete Aitkenhead, died on 2 April. He was 68.

He started his career as a mechanic at Hillman’s Motorcycles in Weston-Super-Mare, joining Fowlers in December 1979, initially working in their Yamaha stores at Brookfield Lane, close to Bristol city centre. Pete was responsible for picking and packing, answering the phone, and assisting with ordering parts. It was a boom time for the industry, with more than 300,000 new machines registered in 1980, and Pete’s talent for remembering part numbers was a major asset in what was still the pre-computer era.

Technology was driving change during the 1980s and, having installed a Burroughs mainframe computer towards the end of the Brookfield Lane era, Fowlers was the first business in the industry to introduce Viewdata, an early form of the internet, for parts orders. This, together with Securicor’s pioneering next-day delivery service, led to a significant increase in trade demand for spares.

When Fowlers moved into its purpose-built showroom and warehouse on Bath Road in 1982, Pete was promoted to the role of Yamaha warehouse and parts manager. It wasn’t long before more space was needed, and Fowlers acquired an adjacent building on York Road to create more storage and office capacity. The customer service team moved in, and Pete joined them as contact centre and parts manager, purchasing parts from many of the growing number of manufacturers that Fowlers represented.

Pete was instrumental in introducing Fowlers’ Electronic Parts Catalogue in 2013, a groundbreaking innovation that enabled dealers to search for parts, check availability, and place orders online. The following year, he went on stage to collect BDN’s Wholesaler of the Year Award on behalf of Fowlers. Voted for by dealers, it was a very proud moment for him and his team.

His enthusiasm and commitment extended beyond regular office hours, and Pete enjoyed working at the NEC motorcycle shows, meeting customers on the Piaggio/Vespa stand.

His organisational skills and sense of humour created strong and lasting relationships with his counterparts at the manufacturers, and helped to ensure that supply kept up with demand. With the number of brands distributed rising from half a dozen in the 1980s to 21 different marques today, his legacy continues, thanks to the systems and relationships he helped to build over his 45-year career.

“Pete’s encyclopaedic knowledge of motorcycle parts was legendary”, says Stephanie Fowler, managing director of Fowlers Motorcycles. “He made a huge contribution to the success of our parts business and his legacy lives on in the efficient and good-humoured operation of our parts department”.

A lifelong motorcyclist, Pete rode to work come rain, shine or snow for almost his entire career at Fowlers. “I used to go pillion with him when I was working there and living at home, and remember several hairy trips in the snow!” recalls his son, David.

His passion for motorcycles extended beyond work, riding on the track as a younger man and touring with his two sons in later life, including trips to Snowdonia and along the Normandy beaches of WW2.

He leaves his wife, Jill, and children, David, Stephanie, and James.