About Browns of Loughton

The multi-million pound business which is now Browns of Loughton Limited had its beginnings in very humble circumstances.  In 1932, at the age of 22, Mr Frank Brown, the founder of the present day Company, rented a lock-up garage in Loughton, and set himself up as a one man outfit repairing and buying and selling motor-cycles and cars.  Despite having very little money to finance this venture, business prospered, and four years later new larger premises were rented and staff were employed to assist in the repair work, and Austin and Morris were interested enough to promote Brown's as an agency for their vehicles.

With the outbreak of war in 1939, the nature of the business diversified tremendously.  The then Ministry of Supply requested all garage proprietors to turn their premises into munitions works to assist with the War effort.  With the proceeds of the sale of a second-hand fire engine to the Daily Mirror, Mr Brown was able to buy lathes, drills and ancillary machinery, and employed a new workforce composed of boys and girls aged between 14 and 17.

A fleet of cars was set up as a taxi firm, as another offshoot of the business, and was commissioned to take hundreds of families away from blitz-stricken London into the relative safety of the countryside, and to be on 24 hour call taking expectant mothers to hospital.

After the War, the machinery purchased for munitions manufacturing was put to more peaceable uses, and this side of the business continued and grew under the name of Browns Engineering Works (Loughton) Limited, specialising in the production of precision engineering equipment including the 'BECO' trolley jack.

The continued growth of the engineering business resulted in a move to larger premises in 1950.  Two acres of dilapidated land and buildings were acquired at the site of what was then ‘Goulds' of 250 High Road Loughton.  In the same year, the motor trading activities were officially incorporated as a Limited Company in the name of Browns Garage (Loughton) Limited.

Shortly afterwards, the present car sales site at 199 High Road was purchased, and a franchise with Austin Morris was established.  The organisation by now covered every aspect of motor vehicle service, including petrol retailing - being one of the first Esso stations in the UK; bodyshop repairs - in the premises now occupied by Clements and Moore in Forest Road; vehicle rental - the Smarts Lane Triangle premises being used for storage and servicing of these vehicles; and the sale of technical spares and accessories from the old building at 199 High Road.

With the addition of new showrooms and aftersales facilities at the High Road site in 1960, the motor trading activities became less fragmented with all facets of the business operating from the same location.  1977 saw the then British Leyland franchise relinquished in favour of Vauxhall Motors, and in 1980 Mr Matthew Brown joined the company as Managing Director.

Under pressure from Epping Forest District Council who were trying to separate off industry from shopping and residential areas, the Engineering business moved to the newly built Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate in 1982 and the site vacated at 250 High Road eventually became Morrisons supermarket.

The sales success of the Vauxhall product range, combined with a flair for used car retailing, enabled the Company to develop a large customer database who continues to support the aftersales operations. The Company was elected to Vauxhall Motors Circle of Excellence in both 1989 and 1990, and as a further recognition of the high level of customer service exhibited, one of only sixteen Lotus Carlton franchises was awarded in 1991.  At the same time the company officially changed its name from Browns Garage (Loughton) Limited, to its present day name of Browns of Loughton Limited, and in 1992 a new Kerridge computer system was installed, improving efficiency throughout the entire business.

The Company remained at the forefront of vehicle retailing during the 1990's.  Notable achievements included three Network Q quality awards and three awards for customer service excellence and training and development from Epping Forest District Council.  Since the turn of the millennium Browns public relation efforts have been recognised by the award of the Vauxhall London Region PR "Gong".  Browns have also been awarded one of only 50 VX220 franchises from the same manufacturer.  The Companys' second generation web site (www.browns-loughton.co.uk) was launched in January 2001 and web traffic doubled overnight.  The site is now recognised as a standard setter within the Vauxhall franchise.