Wingrove Silverlink

About Wingrove Motor Group




Wingrove Motor Company Limited has been serving the needs of North East motorists since 1925, when the company was founded on the West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. We are proud to have five generations of car expertise behind us, and trading for over 95 years, we look forward to many more years in the trade.

Wingrove Logo

1925 

Wingrove Motor Co Ltd, is a family business founded on the main western artery leading into the heart of Newcastle in 1925, by John Myers Dalkin Snr, a local cattle auctioneer, and the major financial backer, along with other family members. Cars and motor sport have long been in the family blood, and the founder’s son, John Myers Dalkin, Jnr, known as ‘Jack’, was soon part of the company, which he had joined in 1927, as well as part of the local motorcycle racing scene. Jack developed a love for motor sports, joining both the Newcastle and District Motor Club and the Northumbria Motor Club.

Wingrove 1920s
Wingrove’s West Road premises in the 1920’s

1960's, 1970's and 1980's

By 1962, two sons, Brian and Peter had joined the company; Peter had by then completed his motor mechanic apprenticeship and had started tuning high performance cars, which was his main passion establishing the Perdal Performance Centre. Peter became responsible for an offshoot of the Wingrove Motor Company, Perdal Developments. Making cars go faster was grist to Peter’s personal mill, and he found himself receiving letters and requests from all over the world which ranged from two-shilling components to fully-tuned engines which sold for around £620. By the late 1960s, Perdal’s had an export turnover of £3,000 a month – and it was still growing.

During the 1970s, Wingrove was a prominent part of the North East motoring scene, with local motor show events, sponsorship in the local press, and not forgetting the motorsport! ‘Jack’ Dalkin passed away in 1970 leaving sons Brian and Peter as directors to expand the business. There were new sites in Gateshead and Whitley Bay, both with car sales, workshop and petrol, resulting in increased sales and awareness of Citroen around the north east.

The site on Elswick Road expanded, with the construction of a fully equipped body repair centre, a growing parts department, and the base for Peter’s rally team. Peter, like his father before him, competed in several RAC rallies and other major UK rallies. Originally a Citroen DS would be seen thundering through the forests, later to be replaced by the more agile GS cars.

There were also a very exciting few years of 2CV Cross in which Wingrove fielded a team of several staff member at various events around the UK and Europe in their team bus. Staying on a competitive theme the 1980s started with Peter taking part in the 2nd Paris Dakar Rally. The decade also saw the resignation of Brian Dalkin, and subsequent share reallocation, with Peter’s wife Eunice becoming a director.

During the 1980s another expansion took place at Elswick, with a large purpose-built showroom and offices erected (designed by architect daughter Louise) whilst sons Lindsay and Elliott became part of the business. Lindsay worked at the newly acquired Hexham garage, and Elliott joining Perdal and the tuning and motor sport element of the firm, as well as competing with his father and other members of staff in auto cross, rally cross and grass track in the competitive Visa, LN and Saxo, at both local and national events.

In the 1990s, along with Citroen’s changing product range, came new challenges; corporate ID meant a new look for all the sites. A lot of hard work and commitment saw Wingrove regularly amongst the top three dealer in the UK, with sales topping 1,000 vehicles each year; the parts department had the largest dealer stock of Citroen parts in the UK. With that success within the dealer network Peter found himself as Chairman of the Citroen UK Dealer Council for several years.

Wingrove 1960s
Wingrove's West Road premises in the 1960's
NE Motor Show Whitley Bay
The NE Motor Show, The Links , Whitley Bay
Peter Dalkin Citroen 2CV
Peter and Lousie Dalkin at the Launch party of the Citroen 2CV Charleston
Citroen G Launch Gosforth 1972
Gosforth Park Hotel and the launch of the Gs 1972
Peter Dalkin Citroen 2CV
Peter Dalkin and his trusty 2CV after successful season of 2CV Cross
Citroen Rally Team Wingrove Elswick Road
Peter Dalkin with Citroen UK Rally Team at new Elswick Rd showroom

2015

Wingrove remains unquestionably a family business. Peter is still at the helm, with son, daughter, son-in-law, and now a grandson representing the 5th generation of the family, all involved.

2017

Parts has always been a big area for Wingrove being the first Citroen dealer to turn over 1 million in parts a year. 2017 saw another expansion, this time at our Cramlington site with the development of a purpose built PSA Parts hub. Wingrove are now the Sole PSA parts distributor and supplier for the North East supplying all Citroen, Peugeot and DS parts in the area to franchise dealers and trade customers.

2018

Wingrove announces their plan to take on the Peugeot franchise in Newcastle from Robins & Day continuing a longstanding relationship with PSA. In February Wingrove took acquisition of the Peugeot Benton road site. With plans in place for the expansion of the Silverlink site to become a tri-marquee site holding sales and aftersales for Citroen, DS and Peugeot.

2019

Wingrove starts 2019 with the full takeover of Woodhorn Motors in Ashington, renamed as Wingrove Ashington. But continuing the sites tradition of being a well thought of used car centre on Ellington Road Ends, Ashington.

The end of 2019 sees the start of the construction of the brand new Peugeot showroom. Located next to the Silverlink Citroen showroom, with construction due to finish early 2020.

2020

Wingrove celebrates its 95th anniversary and continues to be a family run business. Despite the Covid pandemic, 2020 also sees the completion of the Peugeot showroom onto the existing Citroen & DS showrooms at the Silverlink site.

Wingrove Josh Parker Peter Dalkin Louise Parker
Three Generations of Family at Wingrove. Josh Parker, Peter Dalkin and Louise Parker
Wingrove PSA Parts
Wingrove are now the Sole PSA parts distributor and supplier for the North East
Peugeot Louise Parker Peter Dalkin Josh Parker
Louise Parker, Peter Dalkin and Josh Parker
Wingrove Ashington Woodhorn Motors
Woodhorn Motors renamed Wingrove Ashington
Wingrove Covid
Left to right: Sir James Mackey Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Sarah Rose MD of Lucas Jacob Ltd, Paul Dunn Northumbria Healthcare Finance Director
Josh Parker Jake Parker Louise Parker Peter Dalkin
Josh Parker, Jake Parker, Louise Parker & Peter Dalkin