History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

Opposite Belsize Road, the ground floor of Nos.67-75 Kilburn High Road were occupied from 1956 by Raymond Way Motors. For many years there was also a smaller site with an office and garage at No.10, on the corner of Greville Road . Over time Way had other outlets in the area and a motorcycle department at No.36 Willesden Lane. Site of the Raymond Way showroom, (Dick Weindling, 2012) The famous car and motorcycle company were founded by Douglas Raymond Way (1905-1981), who came to Kilburn in 1933. He was originally based in the old Humber car repair works in Canterbury Road (previously the Saxby and Farmer railway signal factory, which has now been demolished). It was the largest used-car dealership in Europe, selling 2,000 cars and motorbikes a year. ‘Don’t delay, buy your car the Raymond Way ,’ was one of his best known slogans. The firm supplied cars for the television series Z Cars , and even had an aviation department, displaying a Piper aeroplane in the Kilburn sh...