About The Complete Automobilist

The Complete Automobilist was established in 1968 when Colin Crabbe purchased the entire stock of 'new' old car parts from Alexander Fraser. This was intended to help supply his own vintage car restoration business Antique Automobiles with parts and fittings, yet very soon became the specialist vehicle part supply business to other restorers of fine motor cars. Both of these businesses operated from a converted Methodist chapel at 35 - 39 Main Street, Baston, Peterborough. This address was to become synonymous with the workshops of Antique Automobiles, which at one stage employed over 20 skilled craftsmen, and the stores of the Complete Automobilist.

The first of the printed mail order catalogues (A5 size with brown cover) was produced in 1968, containing a wealth of useful and even then obsolete product part range, as in this period there was considerable quantities of new old part stock from manufacturers, wholesalers and also MoD surplus. The mail order business grew with markets both at home and overseas riding along with the surge of interest in vintage and later classic motor vehicles. In the very early days vintage car meetings were frequently spoilt with the arrival of 1928 Leyland Lion bus, which was used as a mobile shop, having been racked out and carrying a stock of essential new and used old motor parts. Mail order and counter sales continued from the Baston premises, the Leyland Lion was sold to a Doncaster bus preservation society and a small sales/display trailer was built to travel round to the larger vintage race meetings and the early autojumbles towed by the trusty orange painted Morris 1000 van.

Various changes took place, the business remaining at 35 - 39 Main Street, Baston, the display trailer and van being replaced with a Renault Master van which saw many years of service as the mobile sales vehicle, and was regularly seen at shows and vintage race meetings in the UK, but also extensively travelled to larger classic car shows such as Essen in Germany and Retromobile in Paris, forays without the Renault were also made to Moscow and Hershey in United States. The mail order and counter sales continued along the same theme of supply of parts for the restoration and repair of vintage, classic and fine motor vehicles, with approximately one third of the sales being supplied to overseas owners of Oldtimers.

The business was relocated briefly to a new premises in Graham Hill Way, Bourne for a short period between 2002 and 2004, and then decisions were made mainly due to Colin Crabbe's deteriorating health to move into premises adjoining Colin Crabbe's home at Greatford in Lincolnshire.

In 2005 Colin Crabbe decided that it was time to retire having had 37 years at the helm of this established business, which has now been absorbed into Vintage Supplies Ltd (established in 1971) and moved again. We are still a mail order business in essence, supplying the specialist needs of the dedicated restorer and user of older motor vehicles.

Colin Crabbe ran a F1 race team in the late 1960's and had spent several years during the 1970's and 1980's sourcing important motor cars in outlandish places. He has decided that he should write a book about these exploits, and would be very grateful for any amusing stories and anecdotes relating to those years that the reader may know about, as these may make the book more readable!

Contact Colin Crabbe