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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Unipart gone

Hi

Went last week to my local Unipart store and it has closed. This is an end of an era - Unipart was the old British Leyland spares operation.

See: http://www.kpmg.com/uk/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/newsreleases/pages/administrators-appointed-to-unipart-automotive.aspx

Alomg with LSUK (Lucas), Unipart I used to find was a good source of electrical, cooling and service parts for BMC/BLMC/BL vehicles including MG, Austin Healey, Austin, Morris and Land Rover.

Looks like will have to get everything by post and internet, rather than buying filters and alternators etc locally. South West Scotland does not seem to have many suitable motor factors left (and I do not include Halfords!)

Cheers
Mike


M Wood

Oh that's very sad, especially as each of the 159 branches (of the 180 branches in total)that have closed all had people working there who are now out of a job.
A big loss.
G Lazarus

Hi

It looks like the stores were separate from the manufacturing business since 2011:
http://autoindustrynewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/unipart-automotive-parts-unit-goes-bust.html

Still a shame for all the job losses. And the loss of friendly helpful people in real shops a few miles away.

Mike
M Wood

180 stores at 10 people a store....1800 people suddenly now competing for you job, ...it sucks it really does

But im sure chick filla will save the day with part time minume wage postions... just as good as the real thing

Prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

The financial news reports of this a few weeks ago said that the brand name would continue, to sell through other outlets, though the Unipart stores were to close. It then went on to speculate that many individual stores might be sold off to continue under different management. I suspect that they have struggled to compete with online discount suppliers like carparts4less and the like.
Guy Weller

The Maidstone Unipart is closed too. There must be 12 vans in the yard so I would imagine there were at least a couple of dozen staff.
Shame as their prices were better than the local Halfords just over the road.
Graeme W

Maidstone had 27 staff, as disclosed by the link in post #1
David Smith

Hardly surprising they closed - I tried getting a 1275 head gasket at a Unipart store in Wiltshire, the people there hadn't a clue what I was wanting. Would have to order it, after looking it up in various manuals despite me mentioning Minis etc also.
Dominic Excell

Dom the Excellent,
you must try to remember that not everyone is as old as you - would they be stocking parts for that BMW GolfMiniMaxi you mentioned to them?
Nigel Atkins

TISK TISK Nigel, You need to learn to play nice.
Steven Devine

I was wanting parts for the Austin 7 that I bought new at my retirement Nigel.
Dominic Excell

Dom,
that is fantastic, that you can remember that far back, keep active, you're dong very well, keep it up :D
Nigel Atkins

When I walked past the local Unipart a couple of weeks back I did wonder why it looked so desolate!

I never dared go in as there was a big sign on the door saying "strictly no sales to the public", but Halfords is only another 5 mins down the road and much more disappointing :-D

Malcolm.
M Le Chevalier

Nigel, are you being friendly to Dominic, or are you being a dick?

It is hard to tell via the internets, but that is the impression being given. ":o)


Norm
Norm Kerr

So it will even be more diffecult now to find nos frontwheel bearings... ;)
A de Best

LOL Arie.

It took 15 posts for someone to link that. LOLOLOLOL.
Lawrence Slater

I was sorry to hear about Unipart Automotive going down the Swanee. Not least for all the guys who have lost their jobs, and my condolences go to them (being made redundant is a horrible experience).
Putting that aside for a moment, and forgive me if this sounds insensitive and trifling . . . but does anybody have any idea what will become of the Unipart Samson battery 'lifetime guarantee'? I gather that Unipart Group is still a healthy company?
Andy Hock

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2014 and 30/08/2014

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