1928-2026
Originating from a shed in Scrubbs Lane off the A40 in West London, Hamrax Motors, under the guiding hand of Don Houseman, would become a London landmark lasting 41 years (1954-1995).
Houseman and his two Hamrax business partners moved to a Victorian terrace house in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, in 1956. They later acquired two adjoining houses and filled the rooms with mainly British bike spares, testing the buildings’ integrity to their limit and beyond. One room needed Acrow props to stop the ceiling from caving in!
Don Houseman said he cleared more than 100 dealers properties across the country, either completely or for British parts stock. One coup was 8.5 tons of Triumph Tiger Cub parts from Staffs dealer Cyril Chell.
Hamrax built a reputation for friendly service and knowledgeable staff, reaching 17 at its peak, and achieved its best year in 1976, with a turnover of £700,000. The dilapidated, pale-blue Hamrax buildings became a motorcycling Mecca, attracting celebrity customers including racing driver Sir Stirling Moss, actor Sir Ralph Richardson and philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, as well as thousands of everyday motorcyclists grateful for Hamrax’s advice and parts supply.
The 1971 postal strike lit the blue touch paper for dispatch rider demand. Hamrax, appointed by the AA in 1959 to run its city bike recovery service, put five Hamrax blue vans into action to keep London buzzing on two wheels. Fixing punctures in those inner-tube days proved a major challenge; Hamrax sensibly insisted on fitting new tubes.
Though British-centric, Don and his crew recognised Japanese and scooter market potential, offering service and parts for Japanese bikes and running a separate scooter shop on Harrow Road for seven years.
Don Houseman and his staff had a genuine desire to serve. They wanted to make a living, but profit came second to service. A benevolent boss, Houseman’s forte was perceiving talent potential in his staff and nurturing it. The staff were always happy. “Happy Hamrax”, said a trade associate. The moniker caught on, and the business adopted it from 1961.
In 1995, a property developer offered to buy the Hamrax buildings. By this time, Don was 67 and pretty well worn out overseeing his seven-day-a-week shop and recovery business. So Happy Hamrax closed its doors, Don retiring to South Buckinghamshire.
He died in March, aged 97. He and Happy Hamrax are fondly remembered. The property developers even painted their Ladbroke Grove flats Hamrax blue in honour of the Hamrax legend!