Despite increasing computerisation in car technology, back-lane garages arealive and well in and around the country. Hugh Oram calls in on a few around Dublin
Reputable back-lane garages are still going strong, although not in such big numbers as before, despite the advent of so much electronic testing in main dealers. Often, car owners still prefer to go to one of these garages to get a very personalised service.
The laneways on Dublin's southside, especially around Baggot Street Bridge, Ranelagh, Rathmines and Rathgar, still have quite a number of these garages that have managed to keep going. One is the Pembroke Service Garage in Baggot Lane, at the back of Pembroke Road, near Upper Baggot Street. It's owned by Richard La Malfa and Des Magee.
La Malfa makes an analogy with the medical profession: "If you want medical advice, you go to the doctor, not to the receptionist." He has had over 20 years experience in the motor trade.
If a motorist takes a car to one of the big dealers, "they're often greeted by someone armed with a sheaf of papers", he says. "They don't know who's going to be working on their car."
He believes that people like to talk to those who will be servicing their car and, at the Pembroke Service Garage, it's a very personalised service. The two owners know all their customers and will happily talk to them directly about what may need doing before they go ahead and do it.
Customers come from all walks of life - and often from quite considerable distances. The garage handles about 20 to 25 cars on an average week, doing all types of servicing, but not bodywork.
Older cars of any make with all mechanical systems are not a problem, but the garage is too small to have much computerised equipment. "However," says Richard La Malfa, "between me and my suppliers, we can get everything sorted out."
He believes that standards in the trade have improved. "You can't fake it and there's no longer room for the cowboys." More specialisation is taking place in smaller establishments, with some providing only very specific services, such as bodywork, chassis repairs or puncture repairs and tyre replacement.
Another garage in this area has been going for much longer, over 50 years in fact. The Waterloo Garage in Waterloo Lane, near the Burlington Hotel, was set up by Erroll Dunne's father, James. It has space to park about 12 cars and can work on four at any one time.
Dunne says that he's been in the family garage since he was 14 - he's now 55. He says that he's known locally as "the historian of the lane" because he's been there so long.
Many customers have been coming to the garage for years. One customer, aged 84, has been taking his car to the garage for servicing since just after the garage started.
The place has a lot of equipment, including some diagnostic equipment, so that it can handle everything on the servicing front. It does electronic wheel balancing and electronic tuning.
Dunne believes that, in addition to a very personalised service, keen pricing is a big factor with customers. Whereas big garages often charge around €125 an hour for labour, Waterloo Garage has a standard labour charge of €90. This makes for a more reasonable bill.
He adds that there used to be "a terrible lot" of small garages in the lanes in the area and off Fitzwilliam and Merrion Squares, but many have closed down. Garages based in rented property are vulnerable to steep rent reviews, but Dunne is lucky with the Waterloo Garage - the property was owned by his father and he inherited it.
Nowadays, of course, anyone starting a back-lane garage wouldn't get planning permission.
One of the best-known of Dublin's back-lane garages is Waltons at the back of Leeson Park just off Dartmouth Square. It was set up by James Walton in 1924, making it one of the oldest garages in the city. It uses the word "rere" in its address, the traditional term for a back-lane location. It has been a member of what is now the Society of the Irish Motor Industry since 1935.
The garage continues to be run by one of James Walton's sons, Jack. "It's like a time warp in here," he laughs.
It's clear that service is very efficient, friendly, personalised and reasonably priced, all of which keeps customers coming back year after year.
Discourse with customers is one of the free extras in most back-lane garages. Walton is full of fun and home-made philosophies, so customers who like to talk about their cars are in for a treat.
"Back-lane garages keep going through contacts and honesty," Walton believes.
The sole survivor in the family business, he is an absolute treasure trove of information about the motor trade. His great-grandfather had a forge in Ranelagh and subsequently, the family had an undertaking business and ran hackney cabs. At one stage, the present garage had the old gravity-fed petrol pumps and was the only 24-hour petrol station on the southside.
Walton loves old cars and new motorbikes. Among his collection are a 1960 Ford Prefect in perfect condition and a 1936 Flying 12 Standard, a lovely small car which is still full of the aroma of leather from its seat covers.
For his motorbike addiction, he has just bought an almost new Triumph Sprint 955 fuel injection model which had been used for test purposes by another manufacturer and had only 300 kilometres on the clock.
Jack Walton inherited his deep love of the motor business from his late father, whose headstone in Deansgrange Cemetry bears a representation of the family garage.
The garage has a steady stream of customers. "I'm not greedy," he says. "I just take on what I want to do." He will handle any kind of servicing and, if electronic testing is needed, he has a technical genius on whom he can call.
The attractions of back-lane garages whose reputation is spread by word of mouth are mirrored elsewhere in the city. However, Michael O'Brien, whose garage is at the back of Rathgar Road, says that smaller people are being driven out of business by "the system". Nevertheless, the Celtic Tiger has passed by many who still want the better value of smaller garages.
Dublin's northside also has its smaller garages. Sean Devlin Motor Engineers is at the back of Orchard Terrace, off the North Circular Road. Manager Sean Fitzpatrick agrees that going to a big dealer for servicing can mean big money. Better value and personal service brings customers into smaller garages.
The Sean Devlin garage has a good reputation and will service any make - which means that many customers make the trek from the southside.
So despite the problems of rent reviews and soaring insurance costs, well-run small garages attract more and more customers in search of that elusive personal service.