SECOND TIME FOR KEEPS
The Jowett factory was in Bradford, in the old West Riding of Yorkshire – Riding means a one-third. Yorkshire was a vast area so it was divided into smaller, more manageable areas called Ridings.
There was a north, west, and east but no south. The factory was just a few miles away from my childhood home. My father had a 1947 Jowett Bradford van for many years – so many, that as a young lad I helped him maintain and repair it and eventually became old enough to learn to drive on it! Consequently Jowetts are at the top of my favourites list.
We visited the factory many times and I was promised a job there when I left my Technical Senior School – unfortunately it closed before I became 16! Later, at Bradford University my specialist tutor was a former Jowett engineer, he was a steady, meticulous, and methodical guy – reminiscent of Jowett’s approach to engineering. I can still remember the long detailed discussions we had about independent front suspension and steering geometry; and how they both can fight for control of the front wheels.
Michael Kavanagh, a long-standing member of the Jowett Car Club, is a prolific collector and restorer of Jowett vehicles – particularly commercials. He is passionate about rescuing and reviving any Jowett vehicle. Often they have come to him in a dreadful state: only half there and that would be ‘far gone’. Fortunately, Michael has the skills, tools, and equipment to perform miracles. He had started a thriving motor repair business, Cavendish Garage in Keighley (now run by son Sean). This latest find is
