A look back: A brand new purchase

Every story has a beginning. And the story of Bess began with a Mr. Frederick Berkholz (jr.)

Mr. Berkholz (jr.) lived in Selsdon, just outside Croydon. At that time, it was classed as Surrey however it has since been absorbed into Greater London.

Of German decent, he was born in 1891. The first son of Frederick and Clara, and older brother to Albert. From the 1911 census, we can see that Frederick had secured a role at London County Council as a clerk in the educational department, however, a few years later, all this was to change.

While Frederick (jr.) and Albert were born in the UK, his father was born in Germany. This led to his father being interned in 1914 at the outbreak of World War 1. For Frederick however, he was to serve with the 18th London Regiment, Royal Irish Fusiliers as a Private. Here, he spent 6 months deployed in France, 7 months in Salonica and 8 months in Palestine.

At the end of the war, at the age of 28, Frederick married Winifred Bulling on the 6th September 1919 in Tooting, London. They didn't have any children and it would seem that life was pretty steady after the turmoil of WW1. With Frederick being 48 at the outbreak of World War 2, there are understandably no service records. However, it is clear that he continued to work at London County Council until he retired in 1956 at the age of 65. By now, he and Winifred had relocated to Byron Road in Selsdon.

Frederick would only have had to walk a few hundred yards to see Mr Bailey, the owner and proprietor of Selsdon Garages on Addinton Road. From this beautiful art deco building, Mr Bailey ran a Vauxhall franchise, supplying new Vauxhall motor cars to the Croydon area. It was here that Mr Berkholz stumped up the sum of £766 (around £13,500 in today's money) and ordered a brand new Vauxhall Wyvern E, in Black with a maple brown 'Vynide' interior. The only option specified was the 'super efficient heater' that would have been retrofitted at Selsdon Garages.

On St. Valentine's day, 14th February 1956, the Vauxhall hit the road for the very first time, piloted by her first custodian, Mr Frederick Berkholz. Although it would be another 30 years before this humble Wyvern would earn her name, Black Bess.