It
is no surprise that Drive Travel (trading as Eliza Travel,
Motorhomes Worldwide, Canal & River Boat Holidays,
Europe Shoppe and Kiwi Vacations), headed up by Tony Wilson
is the leading global wholesaler for motor vehicle rentals
worldwide - including Cars, Minibuses, 4 Wheel Drives,
Campervans & Motorhomes
We are
celebrating the 28th anniversary of Eliza Travel in 2007,
however it will actually be the 104th Anniversary of my
family's involvement with the Motor Vehicle industry this
year with many Firsts to our name!
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I
have photos of my Grandfather & Grandmother going back
to the very early days when they ran the first Driving School
in the UK, and one of the very first motor businesses in
the world - Wilsons Automobiles and Coachworks Ltd originally
located in South Norwood, London and then Acre Lane Brixton,
London.
We later added branches at Dorking Road, Epsom, Surrey + Otley Road, Bradford,
Yorkshire + Station Road, Castle Donington, LeicestershireThe
story really started when my Grandfather, Howard Wilson, who was a Fish & Poultry
merchant had a good year and decided to buy one of the new cars that were just
beginning to appear on the roads of the UK. He spoke to a Mr Herbert Austin and
was soon driving around the area.
A friend of his admired the car so Howard Wilson told Herbert Austin and shortly
thereafter his friend came round to show off his new car. A few days later a
cheque for Introductory Commission arrived in the mail from Herbert Austin! Howard
thought this was great and, in 1904 he started Wilsons Automobiles & Coachworks
Ltd... |
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Various
highlights include:
We
taught Australians and New Zealanders to drive army trucks
during the first World War 1914 - 1918. Trading as Wilsons Motor Schools
My father, Leslie Wilson, joined the business and subsequently
became Managing Director.
Wilsons
had the largest self drive car hire fleet in the UK in
1946.
I learned to drive when I was 5 years old and I taught
children to drive at school in the 1950's as part of
a road safety campaign - actually featured on Pathe News
etc. I see Australia is considering this as a new idea
now...........
We were agents for Austin, Morris, Wolseley, Riley, MG,
Austin Healey, Renault, Lotus, Armstrong Siddeley, Hillman,
Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Standard and Triumph - the UK
launch of the Triumph Herald took place in our showrooms
in Acre Lane, Brixton, London in 1959 |
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We
started the first global Motorhome sales centre in 1958
and we were the largest global motorhome dealership throughout
the 1960's and 1970's etc. trading as Wilsons Motor Caravan
Centre and selling over 2,000 motorhomes each year and
with a rental fleet of 150 vehicles
We ran the first Motorhome Rally in the UK in 1960 at Woburn Abbey
We ran the first Motorhome Rally in Europe in 1966
We
supplied motorhomes to many celebrities including Steve
McQueen and
Graham Hill etc. etc. (look at today's Formula
1 Paddock!).
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We
worked with Qantas, BOAC (British Airways), PanAm, South
African Airways and Air Canada as the supplier of motorhomes
to their Landcruise Fly/Motorhome programme
We
raced a Mini Cooper S during the 1960's and held 6 circuit
lap records for our
class at one time
I competed in the first London-Sydney Marathon in 1968 driving an Austin 1800
( the visit to Australia persuaded me to emigrate!) and again in the 1993 London-Sydney
Marathon in a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible
We entered a Motor Caravan (Ford Escort Dormobile) in the London-Mexico World
Cup Rally in 1970
We now operate the leading global reservations service, based in Frankston,
Victoria offering Cars, 4 Wheel Drives/SUV's, Minibuses, Campervans and Motorhomes
throughout the world. My wife, Luky, one of our sons, Francis, and our daughter
Melissa are now involed in the business so the family tradition continues....
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We
are proud sponsors of the Modern Competition of Targa Tasmania
each year - please see: www.targa.org.au/Targa/ which
helps us to promote our upmarket prestige and luxury car
hire, and maintains our contact with motor sport
I have boxes of photos, brochures and support material etc.
dating back to 1904 and I am trying to find the time to
collate
it all and put it up on our web sites. |
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There
are literally tens of thousands of people around the world
who have had dealings with us over the period and we would
be really happy to hear from them again and receive further
information and photos to fill in the gaps in our records
There cannot be many families with a stronger tie to the motor vehicle and recreation.............. |
This
is why we refer to ourselves as ' The Experts' !
Tony
Wilson
Managing Director
January
2006 |
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FREECALL
International Reservation Telephone Numbers
From the USA or Canada 011 800 8781 1120
From Britain / United Kingdom 00 800 8781 1120
From Germany 00 800 8781 1120
From France 00 800 8781 1120
From Australia 1300 880 035
From New Zealand 00 800 8781 1120
within Australia
phone: (03) 8781 1100 Fax: (03)
8781 1109
International callers phone: + 61 3 8781 1100 Fax: +
61 3 8781 1109
Email: enquiry@motorhomesworldwide.com
www.motorhomesworldwide.com
ABN 30 005 561 786
Member of the following
ASTA American Society of Travel Agents
AFTA Australian Federation of Travel Agents
RVRA Recreational Vehicle Rental Association
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