History

Great Grandfather Robert Burns came from Manchester where he worked at Crossley Cars who were manufacturers of quality cars in the early 1900s.

In 1918, after the first world war, Robert became a partner in an existing coachbuilding company in Congleton called Wadesons. Within a few years he had bought his partners out and he became the sole owner of Burns Garage, later Burns Garages Ltd.

Robert’s son Harold joined the Company in 1924.

Having been Morris and Opal agents for a while we became Ford Dealers for Congleton in Cheshire in 1934.

Gaining notoriety locally before the second world war by building and flying a "Flying Flea" (a very early fixed wing microlight) Harold became a ferry pilot during the war delivering all types of aircraft to their operational airfields. He later became Mayor of Congleton.

In 1962 Ian Burns, Harold’s son, joined the family company.

About this time the Company embarked on a big (for the early '60s) expansion. Up to this time we had traded from a four storey building in Park Street Congleton. The workshop being on the lower level accessed from Lower Park Street with the bodyshop and showroom on the Park Street level. The showroom held six or seven cars at the most, petrol was sold over the pavement.

There was therefore an urgent need to find premises which would display a good range of used ford cars, a decent showroom for new ford cars and if possible room for a petrol filling station as well.

A suitable site was located in Canal Street Congleton, only a couple of hundred yards from our Park Street premises and with room for future expansion.

In Canal Street we built our showroom, the one we have today, and a petrol filling station. About eight years later we built a modern workshop and parts department on the site and a purpose built bodyshop on the industrial estate off Back lane also in Congleton in Cheshire

In 1984 We became Ford Main Dealers and in 2004 "Premium" Ford Dealers.

Robert Burns, fourth generation, joined the Company in 1977 after extensive experience elsewhere in the Motor Trade.

In 2003 we gave up selling fuel as the major companies didn't offer us a very good deal and we decided to use the available space to stock and sell more used cars

Robert is now the Dealer Principal and Ian remains very active in the Company.

Which brings us right up to date.