Wisbech St Mary dealership marks 45 years with Nissan

A Nissan dealership is celebrating its 45th anniversary with the car manufacturer this year.

JS Holmes, in Wisbech St Mary, has seen many changes in the automotive landscape in that time.

And the dealership itself is unrecognisable from the way it looked way back in 1975.

The JS Holmes story goes back to 1955 when businessman John S Holmes purchased the village garage in Wisbech St Mary. In those days, he made a living by repairing cars and lorries as well as delivering paraffin.

After a spell representing the Austin franchise, Mr Holmes began selling Datsun cars in 1975 – Datsun being the brand name Nissan used for vehicles it exported at the time.

The cars certainly attracted the attention of local motorists with models such as the Bluebird, Sunny and Violet flying off the forecourt.

The Datsun name was phased out in the mid-80s, with Mr Holmes becoming a Nissan dealer and, in the early 1990s, the JS Holmes premises were revamped.

The man who started it all sadly passed away in 2013, and subsequent generations of the family have taken the reins ever since.

The current dealer principal is John’s youngest son, Martin, who has overall responsibility for running the business, including the service, bodyshop and recovery departments.

Martin’s son Alex is the dealership’s sales director. He said: “2020 is a landmark year for JS Holmes. We are celebrating 65 years in business and 45 as a Nissan dealer. We are particularly proud of the fact that we have remained an independent, family-owned company.”

Things have returned to near normal at JS Holmes after the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – although a comprehensive range of hygiene and sanitation measures has been put in place to keep staff and customers safe.

Alex added: “We are looking forward to another landmark in 2025 when we celebrate our 50th anniversary. We have a long and proud history and are looking to the future with confidence.”

• For information on the full range of Nissan vehicles available from JS Holmes, please contact 01945 561061 or visit www.jsholmes.com