Crewe Honda Centre celebrates 100 years in business and 58 years as a Honda dealer in May. The dealership is still in its same original premises and will host an open evening on 28 May. There will be all the usual attractions including food, a wheelie machine, exclusive-on-the-night offers and a charity raffle in aid of a local good cause; and a Facebook campaign is also scheduled to run throughout the birthday year of “100 giveaways for 100 years”.
Crewe Honda is now headed up by the fourth generation of the founding family, and Roger Morris works alongside six employees supplying all things Honda and describes the team as “passionate about everything Honda”.
It all began on 27 May, 1920, when Roger Morris’s great grandfather opened for business as A.R. Morris (Crewe) Ltd. Back then it was new and used British bikes of all varieties as well as bicycles, sales and repairs, and this remained the case until 1962. The family had a good little business but then, as legend has it, the local Raleigh sales rep encouraged all his dealers to take on the new kid on the block from a UK perspective, Honda, and A. R. Morris became a Honda motorcycle dealer.
This sparked a sea change for the business as mechanics and sales staff were employed to service the franchise, and 58 years later, Crewe Honda Centre is one of the longest-standing Honda dealers in the country.
The generally reported winter gloom of 2019 has gone, and Crewe Honda reports an excellent start to 2020.
Morris believes in moving with the times – his company website incorporates a virtual tour of his showroom (see picture) – and, to futureproof the business, he has taken the decision to give the dealership a facelift in line with Honda’s new corporate identity. This incorporates every aspect of the showroom: flooring, signage, lighting, displays etc. He is also introducing the Honda School of Motorcycling, and the existing car park will be resurfaced to accommodate the facility.
Happy 100th birthday to Crewe Honda Centre.