Photo RGL 2016

King and Harper, The Marque, Cambridge

Notes on The Marque Hills Road

The first building on this site was the King and Harper garage in 1924. By the 1930s Cambridgeshire Motors, a separate company, had expanded operations on the Hills Road/Cherry Hinton corner, as a Ford dealer, while King and Harper for the next 30 years extended their premises next door on the site of what became a filling station.

1925 07 01
A very important addition to the garage accommodation of Cambridge is the new depot just opened by the enterprising firm of Messrs King & Harper in Hills Road. It is situated just off the busy centre of the town so that people who are timid can drive up without much trouble and receive attention without being hustled by the police. King & Harper sell so many cars that it is quite impossible for them to give the service at Bridge Street to all the people who wish to come to them. In front of the garage is a petrol filling station from which four different kinds of petrol can be obtained at a moment’s notice. Two large wash-downs have been provided which owner-drivers may use for the purpose of washing their cars.
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhin

Gilbert Rice took over from Cambridgeshire Motors, and early in 1981 Tim Brinton opened there.

1979 06 07
In 1921 the garage on the corner of Hills Road, Cambridge, broke all records by selling 25 Model ‘T’ Fords. Now the firm of Gilbert Rice which took over the premises aims for 100 times that turnover. There is a used car facility with space to display 75 cars and they have installed service and repair facilities. In the light of the impending fuel crisis smaller cars will be substituted for thirsty larger ones and there could be changes in the type of fuel used. The company is prepared to adapt and says the car dealer of the future will be running a very different type of business from today
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

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The Marque

For more information about this controversial apartment complex completed in 2013 see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-31727193

The public art installation can be seen here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20211117100714/https://www.futurecity.co.uk/portfolio/the-marque/

Sources: Cambridge News (Cambridgeshire Collection)