Behind the wheels and under the hammer... We meet Lyn George of the ever-popular Anglia Car Auctions
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nglia Car Auctions offers twice weekly sales on Wednesday and Friday at 6pm. The auctions are open to trade and private customers which are held in the old Cattlemarket on Hardwick Narrows Industrial Estate. Since 2005, Lyn together with her husband Rob, has been running classic car auctions and they now hold five per year. They are open 6 days per week and offer storage, website advertising and the flexibility of storing your car until it’s sold. Lyn George set the company up in 1995 having had more than 20 years experience in the field since starting aged 18 at the car auction that used to be held at the Norfolk Arena (then known as King’s Lynn Speedway Stadium). “Running the auction at the speedway site was very much a secondary part of that business,” she says, “but the part I enjoyed the most. We started in 1982 with no experience and had to learn quickly. The auctions were only held once a week then on a Friday evening and as soon as it was finished, we went straight into running the nightclub Champs, which was also part of the speedway business. It was a very busy time – especially as the auctions became popular and trade
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picked-up quickly.” When Lyn first moved in she rented space in the cattlemarket and the cattle grids were still sunk into the concrete. Six years later she was able to buy the property and since then the premises have been constantly improved. New offices are being built at the back of the auctioneer’s rostrum which is also being re-sited. An on-site, 40-seat restaurant is open from 8am on auction days features a home-made menu and (in keeping with the motoring theme) has a Fiat 500 suspended above the kitchen. A new 5-car transporter is another recent investment with a specification which will also allow for the collection of classic cars. The company is able to collect and deliver from all over the country and can offer undercover storage for over 100 vehicles. “We’re determined to continue improving,” says Lyn. “It’s very important for us to keep moving forward but maintain the competitive charges we’re able to offer, especially to the trade.” Part of the success of the business is definitely due to the relationships that develop. “The first ten years were amazing, but with the ever-changing marketplace you have to endeavour to keep your old customers and attract new ones.
We aim to be professional but friendly, making it as easy as possible for people to use our services.” Between 200 and 250 cars are offered at the general car auctions every week and around 600 classic cars a year. The classic car auctions are proving immensely popular – where up to 1,500 people attend to view a range of cars from 1920’s right through to the 1980’s. “It’s a very human business and it’s partly a social event as well,” says Lyn. “We try to maintain a friendly atmosphere. It’s still a traditional business where you are interacting with people.”
Details ANGLIA CAR AUCTIONS The Cattlemarket, Beveridge Way, King’s Lynn PE30 4NB Tel: 01553 771881 Web: www.angliacarauctions.co.uk
KLmagazine July 2012