The ‘Big Two’ respond

It was a couple of years before the ‘big two’ clubs, started to see what was happening in the industry. The AA were first to respond in 1974 with their ‘Relay’ Service. This was an addition to the standard breakdown cover. The AA also started to use approved garages, when their own relay fleet was overloaded.
 

Then in 1975 The RAC responded with their own service aptly named "Recovery". Both were advertised as ‘transportation of member and vehicle after a major breakdown, to any destination on the UK mainland’ services. The RAC however, also included cover for ‘recovery after an accident’.

Eric Charles (head of RAC Motoring Services), purchased a number of Range Rovers and trailers and had them liveried in RAC colours. This was to create the impressions that this new 'get you home' Recovery service, was being carried out by the RAC themselves.

The truth then (as it is today), is that most recoveries were carried out by carefully selected RAC agent, leaving the main RAC fleet concentrating on covering breakdowns. In the case of the AA they do largely carry out there own recoveries, but again will use their agents at peak times. 

National Breakdown did not sit back of course, they continued to grow and expanded their customer database. Eventually, they became part of NCP (National Car Parking Corporation). The expansion was so great, that the decision was taken to move out of their by now famous (in the industry) Low Moor Head Quarters. On the 27th July 1989 no lesser person that HRH Diana Princess of Wales, opened their new building in Leeds. One can only guess what was going through Ernest Smith's mind, but perhaps he thought back to the Fish and Chip shop, where the business started.

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NBRC are remembered as the 'trend setters' from those early days, but they were not alone. Other names (most of them now gone) were: Autohome (very much still trading), B.A.S Car Recovery Club, Car Recovery Club (Eagle) of London. Good Samaritans, Knights of the Road, Red Rovers and UK Recovery. NBRC would also eventually disappear when it changed its name to Green Flag.
 

A popular and flexible alternative to belonging to a recovery organisation, was launched 1978 by The Guild of Experienced Motorists. It was called GEM Recovery and it was a pay and claim service. In the event of you needing a recovery, you arranged it with a local garage, paid and sent the invoice to GEM for a refund. In later years GEM would also offer their own recovery package and in January 2004 became GEM Motoring Assist

With all these clubs encouraging motorist to take out membership and then (in the main) passing the work out to the trade, the recovery industry started to grow. Most of the work was still being undertaken by the "traditional garages" and the "coachworks repairers" looking for extra work, but the 'specialist' recovery operators were beginning to surface, as an 'industry' of their own.

Continue . . .

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