About Us

Harris-Mayes – A Brief History

Harry Harris-Mayes 1892-1967 Founder of the business.

Harry was the son of a local butcher, attended Watford Grammar School and then, in 1908 went to Coventry where he served an apprenticeship with the West Progress Motor company. He briefly worked for the Albion motor company as a field engineer for their cars and lorries before signing up for WW1 where he was responsible for repairing breakdowns on the convoys of assorted commandeered lorries between the French coast and the front line. After the war he became the transport manager for the newly formed United Dairies, again dealing with a very mixed fleet of lorries from the fleets of the small dairies which had joined together. It was here he joined forces with his old commanding officer, Col. Scammell, to develop the frameless articulated tanker. He also had a sideline as a race engineer at Brooklands in it’s heyday. After the death of his father in 1926 he started to set up his own business, initially in partnership with a friend, Geoff Sayers, but when Geoff contracted polio and lost the use of his legs Harry continued on his own. Geoff went on to be the leading designer of car controls for disabled drivers. Harry bought two houses on the corner of St Albans Rd and St Johns Rd in Watford and built the “Ace of Herts” garage which opened in 1930.

1930-1932 Dealer for Morris cars.

1932 Became the Rover dealer for Watford.

1939 The premises were taken over by the War office. The staff who were not called up went as a team to assemble mosquito aircraft at Leavesden. Other local garages did the same and there was much rivalry as the aircraft passed from one garage team to the next as they were assembled.

1945 Resumed trading

1949 Sold the first Land Rover in the area to Braziers dairy.

1955 Harry suffered a stroke and started to hand over day to day responsibilities to Frank Mayer (no relation)

During the early 60s Peter Harris Mayes started working in the workshop on Saturdays, school holidays and alongside studying engineering at college.

1967 Harry died, his wife Mary became managing director. The family faced a crippling inheritance tax bill, it was when Dennis Healey, chancellor promised to “squeeze the rich till the pips squeaked” and the top rate of the tax was 80%. The business was put up for sale.

1968 Various offers for the business fell through, mainly because the council refused planning permission to modernise the premises.

1969 Peter entered to business full time. The Rover dealership was lost as British Leyland took control of Rover. A Citroen dealership was negotiated but did not proceed because Mary died of cancer, more estate duties were incurred and Frank Mayer retired. Peter and Robert HM took control.

1970 The premises were sold to R K Horton, Triumph dealer in Watford, their garage was due for demolition to make way for the town centre ring road.

1971 In January Peter and Robert moved the repair business to a rented workshop in Rembrandt house, Whippendell Rd.

1972 Robert resigned

1974-5 Rented a showroom and forecourt in Chipperfield as a used car outlet.

1978 Moved the repair business to a site rented from the council in Watford Fields Rd off lower High St Watford, demolished the old house and built a modern workshop.

1982 Land Rover Ltd had been given a degree of independence within what was now Rover group and started to appoint small dealers who would give a personal service.

1983 Appointed Land Rover and Range Rover dealer for the Watford area.

1985 Appointed Sherpa van dealer for Watford area.

1987 Watford council refused to allow part of the workshop to become a showroom which led to the loss of the Range Rover dealership. Land Rover Ltd planned to have four specialist dealers around London specialising in what were to be known as Defenders, we would have been one but the plan was dropped.

1989 Unable to meet new standards for dealership premises so lost the Land Rover franchise. Daf bought Sherpa vans and Daf truck dealers took over all van sales so that was also lost. Started to sell UMM 4×4 vehicles. Although, after a slow start, we sold them successfully the supply dried up, and when the promised new model never materialised the importer closed down. There was a proposal to assemble them in the old de Lorean factory in Northern Ireland but that did not get past the initial proposals.

1992 Hit badly by the recession. The council wanted the premises as part of a new retail park and we were in no position to fight them. Moved to rented workshop on Watford business Park.

2003 Moved to rented workshop in Rickmansworth Rd

2006 Moved to larger premises on Woodcock Hill, Rickmansworth.

29^th March 2018 Company bought by Guy Davis & Gary Ford and re-named Harris-Mayes 4×4 Ltd 

I think you know the rest.

– Written by Peter Harris Mayes.

Meet the Team

We are passionate about providing the highest levels of customer service to our clients and your vehicle is in safe and experience hands at Harris-Mayes Country Cars.

For further information, or to book your vehicle in, please contact us.

Harris Mayes 4×4 Limited (FRN: 842647) is an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) of Meridian Finance Partners Ltd (FRN: 661646) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.