Woodley's Motors, Tamworth's Volvo, Honda, Mazda, Chrysler Jeep, TATA and Hyundai car dealers, this weekend celebrates a huge milestone in its history - its 75th anniversary.

The company, one of the most successful car dealerships in the north-west, grew from a car hood-maker in 1922 to today's multi-franchised car dealership.

Woodley's Motors was originally started by Harry Woodley (Warren Woodley's grandfather), not as a dealership but as a firm making hoods for those wonderful 1920 motor cars, which was quite an art form, and repairing leather car seats. In fact, it was during this period that Harry Woodley coined the phrase in all his advertising "Let's put one over you", which of course, was a light-hearted comment to do with car hoods.

In those days the business operated from a shed in a laneway opposite the Capitol Theatre.

Young Neville Woodley (Warren's father) joined the company in these early days.

But as the business progressed, Woodley's Motors, or as it was known then, Woodley's Car Trimmers, needed larger premises and here Neville Woodley played a big part as the company moved to 420 Peel Street.

This was in 1930 and Woodley's Car Trimmers stayed at this address until 1971.

"After my grandfather's death in 1938, my father (Neville Woodley) took over the business and introduced more innovations into the business, such as spray painting," Warren Woodley said.

Warren actually started working at Woodley's Car Trimmers at 15, while still a schoolboy.

"I used to sweep the floors and do all the general rouseabout work around the place," he said.

He was also a regular in the workshop and learnt the trade as a car upholsterer.

Then in the 1960s, panel beating was introduced and as a result of this, a change of name was called for and the business became Woodley's Motor Body Works.

After the death of his father in the late 1960s, Warren Woodley took control of the business.

Then in 1971, due to a shortage of space, another shift was necessary and Woodley's moved to 484 Peel Street, situated between Hill and Roderick Streets.

It was at this address, in the same year, that Warren Woodley started dealing in motor cars and became the franchised dealer for Volvo cars.

This was the start of today's highly successful Woodley's Motors car franchises.