As Birmingham's most famous car dealership, Bristol Street Motors has 100 years of incredible memories. From celebrity visits to being the pit stop in Birmingham Super Prix , we take a look back at the garage's glorious century. Footballers, pop stars and comedians were familiar faces at the iconic motor retailer on the A38 near its junction with Belgrave Middleway. Aston Villa legend Dennis Mortimer, who captained the 1981
Football League championship-winning team, even returned to mark the Ford dealership's 100 year anniversary remembering his Ford XR3i from there. Bristol Street Motors first Ford dealership opened in Birmingham city centre back in 1924 on March 18 and has progressed from selling Ford Model T to electric vehicles. Although this original store is still open, there are now 100 others in
England that use its name as part of one of the UK’s largest motor retailer groups, Vertu Motors plc. READ MORE: 'I bought a horse box and turned it into booming bar business with dad's DIY help' QUIZ: See how many of the service stations you can identify on the UK's longest motorway Over the past century, stars from pop group Slade to Ken Dodd, Jack Charlton and Aston Villa teams browsed cars at the site. Most famous of all was the five years of Birmingham Superprix when the dealership acted as the pit lane for Formula 3000 racing cars driven by legends from Damon Hill to Eddie Irvine from 1986 to 1990. Ex-Aston Villa Captain Dennis Mortimer, who brought along a replica European Cup for staff to see, said: “We’d just come off the League Trophy win and one of the things the Club granted us was a car. "I had the Ford XR3i and that’s how I became connected to Bristol Street Motors. The brand was already a great supporter of Aston Villa, with many advertisements around Villa Park. Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from Slade with the Firetruck car from Bristol Street Motors at Eileen Delahay and Ian Newnham's wedding (Image: Getty Images) “After the XR3i, I kept coming back for more cars from Bristol Street Motors. I was always looked after, and I’m very happy to be back and celebrating with the team here.” To coincide with its anniversary, the dealership's rich history and photos were displayed inside the original building alongside a display of classic Ford vehicles. There was also a 1920s Vauxhall Cadet, which featured in the dealership's most recent TV ad, filmed at the Black Country Living Museum. But while researching for the exhibition, Bristol Street Motors staff unearthed a trove of historical treasures not seen for decades as the brand expanded. Vintage posters, marketing materials and adverts were found including 1930s Waddington's playing cards and a keyring from the 1970s. Birmingham's Bristol Street Motors 100 years of photos from Super Prix to celebrity cars View gallery See photos from these and the Superprix in the photo gallery above. The new discoveries included marketing for when it briefly operated as a tractor dealership. Bristol Street Motors also was a sponsor for the
British Touring Car Championship in the 1990s and for Olympic athlete Sonia Lannaman in 1980 to compete in
Moscow. Former Depot Controller John Meddings, also aged 100, retired from Bristol Street Motors 35 years ago and said “I started in the 1970s and worked there for many years, moving around different departments. I was a Depot Controller in the end. It was a great place to work and a lot of fun." POLL: Birmingham is changing to fortnightly bin collections - tell us what you think Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Bristol Street Motors, said: “We have grown the business to become a key player within the industry. Bristol Street Motors has become an iconic business in Birmingham "With more than 100 Bristol Street Motors dealerships across England, the name has become one of the most recognisable motor retailers in the country." He added: “Though a lot has changed since 1924, including the technology we use and the vehicles we sell which have evolved considerably, our core principles remain the same; provide excellent customer service and brilliant deals, and you’ll always be on to a winner.” Let us know your memories of Bristol Street Motors and the first car you bought from there in the comment section below.