Mercedes-Benz of Bradford Celebrates 70th Anniversary

31st Oct 2023

More Photos

Charles Sydney Mercedes-Benz Bradford Handover

Charles Sydney Mercedes-Benz Bradford Original Showroom

This year is the 70^th anniversary date of Mercedes-Benz of Bradford. The contract with Mercedes-Benz was negotiated and signed in July 1953 by Malcolm Scatchard's father, Raymond Scatchard.

Mercedes-Benz of Bradford were the first dealer and distributor for all Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the North of England, and is the oldest in the UK. The original site was opened on Westgate in Bradford in 1953, and Charles Sydney operated from the site between 1953 and Easter of 1963 when the building was destroyed by fire.

Charles Sydney moved to the current location on Thornton Road in 1963. The site was originally Bradford Dyes Association Mills and Mr Scatchard converted the mill section to a large workshop and the new workshop was opened by Alfred Neubauer, the famed Mercedes race manager.

In 2008, it was taken over by Pendragon and now runs under successful management of Stratstone Mercedes-Benz Bradford.

In the early years, there were only small numbers of vehicles imported and customers were “cherry-picked” in order to be able to purchase a car. Mercedes-Benz of Bradford was the leading dealer by volume in the 1980s, and the number of vehicles over the 70 years will run into thousands and thousands.

Currently, there is a technician Darren, a relation of Malcolm Scatchard, who works at Stratstone Mercedes-Benz of Bradford and the showroom has its own 1958 MB 190 SL currently being restored.

There are some wonderful photographs of the dealership in the 1960s and an article celebrating the history of Charles Sydney and Mercedes-Benz in the City of Bradford.

As part of the celebrations, the Stratstone Mercedes-Benz Bradford dealership will be hosting a ‘Cars and Coffee’ event on Sunday 26th November from 10am, so we look forward to seeing you there.