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Harold Radford

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Harold Radford & Co. Limited was a British retailer specialising in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. Situated in Melton Court, South Kensington, London SW7, opposite South Kensington tube station, the company, under G. Harold Radford, developed a bespoke coach-building business in the late 1940s named Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited. The business initially focused on crafting bodies for new Bentleys tailored to the rural lifestyle of the landed gentry. During the Swinging Sixties, Radford gained recognition for its luxury versions of the cult-car Mini.

Radford was relaunched in 2021 as a supplier of bespoke global luxury cars by TV presenter and car builder Ant Anstead.[1]

Ownership

1953 Bentley R Type Countryman by Harold Radford

Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited, part of the H. R. Owen group (H. R. Owen, a member of the Swain group owned by The Provincial Traction Company Limited since October 1959), merged with the servicing and body repair operations of H. R. Owen and Swain under the name Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited in March 1961.[2]

In September 1966, Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited voluntarily entered liquidation due to its inability to meet its liabilities. In October 1967, a new company, Harold Radford Coachbuilders (1967) Limited, was established to continue acquiring cars.[3]

Currently, Radford is co-owned by Ant Anstead, Jenson Button, and Roger Behle under the company name Finest Coachbuilding Group (FCG), which is a United States limited liability company (LLC). The group also holds UK holdings, which FCG wholly owns.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Jenson Button and Ant Anstead help revive British coachbuilder Radford with new models". Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  2. ^ The Provincial Traction Company Limited. The Times, Monday, 3 Jul 1961; pg. 21; Issue 55123.
  3. ^ Industrial Models to be acquired. The Times, Tuesday, 10 Oct 1967; pg. 22; Issue 57068
  4. ^ USPTO. "RADFORD - Finest Coachbuilding Group, LLC Trademark Registration". USPTO.report. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  • The Sydney Morning Herald - 21 Apr 1958 page 5 "British Cars Star At New York Show"
  • ']New York Times 6 Apr 1958 "LUXURY MODELS, TOO; German, French, Italian, British Cars Join US"
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