Waldot Service Station, Middlewood Rd

[bullerboY 10]

anybody rember Waldot service station on Middlewood Rd from 1958-1974

[speeder 10]

Is that the one that became Gilders? remember the name but can't picture where it was.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi speeder

thats the one,opposite Darwin Rd and next to carravan investments

[carosio 186]

Is that the same one that had an N.S.U. car agency? Owners were called Walter and Dorothy? The showroom that was at the top end of the row of shops along from the co-op, I believe, was also something to do with them.

[Tooeg 10]

Is that the same one that had an N.S.U. car agency? Owners were called Walter and Dorothy? The showroom that was at the top end of the row of shops along from the co-op, I believe, was also something to do with them.

 

They lived at morehall overlooking the dam, I know their surname but it's escaping me at the moment.

[carosio 186]

I worked in the car spares department for a brief period about 1967-8. The mechanics used to test customers cars such as the NSU Prinz TT and the rotary engined RO-80 on some high speed stretch of road towards Deepcar!

[hillsbro 32]

Is that the same one that had an N.S.U. car agency? Owners were called Walter and Dorothy? The showroom that was at the top end of the row of shops along from the co-op, I believe, was also something to do with them.

 

I remember seeing the little N.S.U. Prinz cars in the window of No 100 Middlewood Road, between Ernest Hoole's double-fronted "Homeworkers Supplies" D.I.Y. shop and Hawksley Avenue; I hadn't realised that this was part of the Waldot firm. At one time the business was "Parkside Cars" who sold secondhand cars. Come to think of it, I seem to remember seeing the bright orange 3-wheeler "Bond Bugs" there, and Waldot sold 3-wheelers.

 

I "think" that in c. 1972 Waldot had a salesman called Vic Smith, but I am stretching the limits of my memory now!

[Tooeg 10]

If the Bond Bug was produced now, I could imagine it competing with the Mercedes Swatch thing.

It had a hillman imp engine and was an absolute flyer. It would have weighed about the same as a bag of sugar.

I seem to think it was a bit pricey for just a three wheeler

Sorry thats way off topic

[carosio 186]

A friend who was 18 at the time worked Saturday mornings at the showroom and was offerred a sales job but before he could respond he was killed in a motorcycle accident, this would be 1966.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi carosio

I was the man who specialisied in the N.S.U. cars from the begining in 1963 the were fantastic cars and today would be a force to be reckoned with.I was sent to the factory in Neckarsulm to learn the ****el engine and I still visit there every year to see many friends.The road test route was middlewood rd Stockarth lane and up Kirkedge Rd to the convent. the Ro80 did 100mph up and as fast as you dare coming down.then on to Worral Rd holding your nerve through the dip then down langsett Ave.The little prinz 4 would do 80mph and 50-55 to the gallon.the group of four cyl cars were very fast and handled like a dream.We sold hundreds in Hillsboro.Walter and Dorothey Dungworth were the owners and did life up Morehall the house still stands and has their initials in the date stone.Happiest days of my working life. The little showroom at the top of Hawksley Ave used to be the Co-op and Freddie Truman opened it as Europa Cars. A lot of customers became my friends but alas a lot are no longer with us.

[carosio 186]

Thanks for the correction bullerboy, Worral was on my mind but I thought Deepcar was the easy way out! The rotary engine in the Ro80 didn't seem to catch on -I believe it was mainly due to the seal problems they were having in the single "rotary piston" I wonder if there are any of these cars still on the road. Wasn't N.S.U. took over by Audi?

[bullerboY 10]

Hi carosio

Yes the lad was my pal also he killed at the never ender at oughtibridge,a .car driver panicked when he saw sparks from his stand and turned into him,I was with him till he finished work on the Saturday.That was part of the problem,the main fault was the british drivers running them in top gear roundtown they sould have been in second to allow the carbon to burn off without getting too technical.there are quite a few running round Germany,most with the original engine.Yes Audi did aquire them,I went round the factory last year,its huge now.