HISTORY

Pre-history

Tim Lobb began working in the motor industry with The Tapper Motor Company (Truro) in 1960. During his later years with the company, he attended a Crypton training course (in Bridgewater, Somerset) and became a Crypton engine tuning specialist. After leaving 'Tappers' in 1966, Tim spent 3 years at the Hicks Motor Group (Truro), where he worked initially on Standard Triumph models (including TR3s, TR4s and Spitfires) and then, when 'Hicks' became part of the Rover network, Lotus and Rover cars. During the latter part of the 1960s, Tim acquired the property adjacent to Fore Street, Grampound, the site at which TJ Lobb is located presently.

The 1970s

In 1970 Tim started his business in Grampound as a sole trader and with his expertise in tuning, servicing and repairing sports cars, operated under the banner "Sports Cars a Speciality". During this decade, some of the most well-known sports cars of the era could be found undergoing servicing, repairs or tuning at TJ Lobb, these included: Alfa Romeo (Spider, 1600 GT Junior & Guiletta), Austin Healey (Sprite & 3000), Ferrari (246 Dino), Lotus (Elan, Europa & Cortina), Jaguar (E-Type 4.2 and V12), MG (Midget, MGB, MG-TF), Rover (V8S) and Triumph (Spitfire, TR3 & TR4).

The 1980s

As car ownership among the general population increased, the demand for more practical cars grew. By the 1980s, the majority of stock offered for sale by TJ Lobb catered for the mainstream market; although a smaller, but continuous, thread of sports cars always remained. As car sales grew then so did the demand for car servicing. To meet this demand TJ Lobb took on several employees and it was in 1983 that Tony Ford joined the business as an apprentice.

The 1990s

During the 1990s, a growing awareness of the environmental impact of cars lead to the introduction of rudimentary (by today's standards!) engine management systems to improve vehicle emissions. At this time TJ Lobb began its continuous investment in diagnostic systems.

Concurrently, used car sales were consolidated, such that they held equal importance to servicing & repairs. The range of cars provided by TJ Lobb increased with the increasing variety of models and derivatives offered by the manufacturers; however, sports cars were still prominent, with in particular, BMWs becoming a staple part of the TJ Lobb stock.

In 1993 Tim's wife, Barbara, became a partner and, at a later date, joined on a full-time basis to continue and develop her previous accounts/payroll management and customer service roles.

The New Millenium

Motor vehicle technology has continued to advance at an ever increasing rate and, whilst also aiming to minimise the environmental impact of the business, the new millenium has seen a significant evolution in the business.

The business became a true family business in 2005 when Tim & Barbara's son, Barnaby, joined the company. With his engineering background and experience of signal processing and contemporary electronic systems, the company is well placed to meet the any future challenges arising from developments in motor vehicle technology.

As well as investing in human resources, TJ Lobb has acquired the latest diagnostic and servicing equipment. As such the company is not only prepared for most servicing & repair challenges but can contribute to minimising the environmental impact of our customers cars. This we achieve by ensuring optimum and efficient performance through regular vehicle servicing and best practice workshop procedures.

The Future

We are striving constantly to meet the stream of new challenges that present themselves to the independent motor industry. Our focus in the medium and long term is towards our environmental responsibilities and any associated changes in motor vehicle technology: we are committed to working towards a sustainable business for the benefit of our local community.