A Tradition of Excellence
The company was founded in 1946 by Frank Dale who began buying and selling Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars in post war London. The company had several premises before becoming firmly established in 1957 in Paddington. In 1959 Frank Dale's stepson Ivor Gordon joined the company following his two-year apprenticeship at London's Bentley main agent Jack Barclay Ltd. Ivor's brother John Gordon joined the company in 1965 and at this point the company became known, as it still is today, as Frank Dale & Stepsons.
In 1965 the company moved to new premises just off Sloane Square in the heart of Chelsea. Mr Dale and the Gordon's remained there until 1972, when a new location was sought out in the neighbouring area of Fulham. The new large showroom at Farm Lane, Fulham was complemented with workshops and trimming facilities.
James Crickmay joined the company in 1980 and in 1986 when larger premises were required the business moved again, this time to King Street in Hammersmith. John Gordon having worked with his stepfather Frank Dale, his brother Ivor and in later years, James Crickmay retired in 1994.
By 2000 the business needed to move again and Ivor and James acquired a new premises in Harlequin Avenue, Brentford. During the time at this location James Crickmay's son Giles joined the business in 2006 keeping the family tradition alive. Just as Frank Dale had passed on his invaluable knowledge to Ivor starting in the 1940's so in turn Ivor and James shared their years of experience with Giles thereby ensuring preservation and continuity of service for the next generation of Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners. Before his passing in 2016 and with over fifty years of experience in the Rolls-Royce and Bentley market, Ivor was one of the most well respected and knowledgeable figures in the industry. James Crickmay ran the business with Ivor for over 30 years until his passing in 2015.
The company's most recent move took place in late 2019 when it moved to the current premises in Sandhurst which provides for a significantly improved operational layout, more workshop space and a better location to service an ever-expanding customer base.
Today Giles & Emma Crickmay, James' son and daughter, along with workshop manager Vincent Roma and general manager Greg West are now at the helm of the company adding invaluable experience and sharing the same substantial knowledge for the benefit of their existing customers and new clientele.