OUR STORY
At Motorworld we are proud to be part of a 115 year history of servicing the motoring public of Marlborough. The roots of this business go right back to 1905 so it’s important to us to take some time to look back on the long journey and the people who have been involved in it.
1905
Wintringham & Mitchell
Ivan Wintringham and H.J.S. Mitchell, established a business in Blenheim as a branch of the Wellington Wairarapa Motor Co. Together they promoted the business themselves by ambitious motoring feats such as being the first to travel from Blenheim to the West Coast by car in 1910.
Wintringham & Mitchell
Wintringham and Mitchell, Cnr Queen St and Arthur St.
Ivan Wintringham and H.J.S.Mitchell built one of the first commercial buildings in Queen St and established their own business, Wintringham & Mitchell. They were the principal agents for Overland, Cleveland, Maxwell cars, Buick, Leyland trucks, Hupmobile cars, Farm tractors and Threshing plants.
1914
1920
Marlborough Farmers Co-op Motors Ltd
Marlborough Farmers Co-op Motors Ltd, Cnr Queen St and Arthur St.
Marlborough Farmers Co-op Motors Ltd acquired the business of Wintringham and Mitchell and established a garage as a part of their general farm supplies, continuing trading at the Queen St site.
H.R.Dix & Sons
H.R. Dix & Sons Ltd, Cnr Queen & Arthur St.
The business changed hands and became established in 1923 as H.R. Dix & Sons. Mr H. R. Dix, his wife, and two sons, C.C. Dix and F.R. Dix set up H. R. Dix & Sons on the corner of Queen and Arthur Streets in Blenheim. In 1923 they added Ford and Austin Franchises. In 1930 they dropped the Ford Franchise and added Chevrolet. In 1940, Bedford and Vauxhall were added.
H.R. Dix & Sons Ltd car sales yard.
1923
1960
Terry Motors Ltd
A Marlborough Express extract...23 April 1960
“The well-known firm of H.R. Dix & Sons Ltd, which has served the motoring public of Marlborough for the past 37 years is shortly to change hands. The business has been purchased by a private company and will operate under the name of Terry Motors Ltd from May 2nd.
It will be managed by Mr F.W. Terry, of Blenheim, who has been secretary to H.R. Dix & Sons Ltd for the past 15 years. H.R. Dix & Sons Ltd was established by the late Mr H.R. Dix in 1923, when he and his wife, with their sons, Messrs C.C. Dix and F.R. Dix, came to Blenheim from Christchurch and set up their garage business in High Street.”
In 1960, Terry Motors Ltd purchased the business of HR Dix & Sons Ltd. Terry Motors Ltd was part owned by Nelson General Motors dealer Tony Bolton but the New Zealand Farmers Co-op had the majority shareholding in the business. This business was still run on the former H. R. Dix & Sons site on the corner of Queen and Arthur St in Blenheim and was managed by Mr Frank Terry.
Terry Motors Ltd moved into their new site on the corner of Scott and Francis St.
Marlborough Express Newspaper article - Terry Motors Scott St - 1963
1963
1973
New Zealand Farmers Co-op are purchased by R.A Brierley Investments.
Terry Motors were awarded the Suzuki franchise when the Coleman Family built an assembly plant in Wanganui. Terry Motors as a GM dealer went on to sell Holden, Suzuki and Isuzu Trucks.
Terry Motors Scott St - 1963
1976
1984
Wadsco Motorworld Ltd
25 May 1984, Wadsco Motorworld Ltd was established when John & Lynley Wadsworth and Rex & Jill Scoble purchased Terry Motors Ltd, selling Holden, Suzuki and Isuzu Utes and trucks.
John Wadsworth and Rex Scoble - approx 2001
Rex Scoble, John Wadsworth, Holden Managing Director Don Bowden, Jared Morris and Wayne Young - 1997
Photo of a fleet of Colorados purchased by Kevan Buck for his Forestry operation in 2002
Isuzu Trucks moves to new premises at Horton St, under the new name of Wadsco Commercial Ltd.
2001
2006
Jared & Melanie Morris and Wayne & Joanne Young purchased Rex & Jill Scoble’s shares in the business.
Wadsco Paint and Panel moved to 30 Timandra Place.
Jared & Melanie Morris and Wayne & Joanne Young purchased John & Lynley Wadsworth’s shares in the business.
2013
2014
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award
March 2015 - Jared, Melanie, Wayne and Joanne purchased Mayfield Motors off Sturrock & Jo Saunders. The business is re-named Mayfield Motorworld.
Jared Morris, Sturrock Saunders and Wayne Young. Mayfield Motors purchase - March 2015
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award
Jared Morris accepts award in Barcelona, Spain
2015
2016
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award
Jared Morris accepts award in New York, America
Nov 2017 - Jared & Melanie Morris take full ownership of Wadsco Motorworld and Mayfield Motorworld to allow Wayne & Joanne Young to retire from the business.
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award
Wadsco Panel and Paint is re-branded to Motorworld Panel and Paint.
2017
2018
April 2018 - Simon Wakelin becomes an Equity Partner and Dealer Principal of Mayfield Motorworld.
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award.
Motorworld Group Ltd acquire Blenheim Rentals Ltd trading as Motorworld Rentals and purchase a small rental vehicle fleet to operate locally.
Wadsco Holden wins the Holden Grand Master Dealer Award.
Motorworld Group Ltd established Total Wash, a car wash operation.
Total Wash, Francis St - Oct 2019
2019
2020
February 17 2020 - General Motors announced that it would be retiring the Holden brand and pulling out of the last remaining right-hand-drive markets globally.
March 2020 - Alex MacAskill becomes Equity Partner and Manager Motorworld Panel & Paint.
September 2020 – Wadsco Motorworld was re-branded to Motorworld. The Kia, Volkswagen and Isuzu Utes Franchises were added to the dealership and we are proud to continue to be New Zealand’s longest serving Suzuki motor vehicle dealer (44 years).
We also added Skoda and remain the registered authorised Holden dealership for genuine parts and service.
Feb 2021 - Mayfield Motorworld becomes the Subaru Service Centre in Blenheim.
2021
2022
Jan 2022 - Plans underway for Auto Self Serve Blenheim to open in Horton Street, Blenheim.
Concept drawing
Nov 2023 - Mayfield Motorworld becomes the Marlborough MG dealership in Blenheim.
2023
2024
June 2024 - Auto Self Serve Blenheim opens at 16 Horton Street, Blenheim. Two auto wash bays, four self serve bays, six vacuum bays and a dog wash bay. Open 24/7 and is the The most innovative TouchFree 360° Automatic car wash.
Auto Self Serve Blenheim is now open 24/7
