History

In 1971 Roger Blockley was working on the Spitfire production line at the Standard Triumph factory in Coventry. In his garage at home he was building what was to become the first ‘Gentry.’ He used a Triumph Vitesse chassis, 1600 engine and a pair of original MG TF wings. It took him over 20 months and was completed in 1973.

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Blockley era

The first car was admired by many and he was encouraged to build another for his father. Having completed this second car he then started to produce them commercially early in 1974.

The first premises were in a run-down mushroom growing shed on a small holding at Barwell, Leicestershire. This was to become RMB Motors’ first factory. The Gentry was sold as a fully assembled body shell needing only 12 bolts to secure it to a Herald or Vitesse chassis.

He repurchased this first car in 2015 and undertook a full restoration. He described this in a series of Facebook posts in 2017 which can be seen in our Members Area.

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SP - Mick and Terry

In 1989 Roger sold the business to 2 Gentry owners, Mick Sinclair and Terry Phillips who traded as SP Motors. In May 1990 a new custom chassis was introduced to take the running gear and engines from the Ford Escort and Cortina models.

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TP - Terry

During April 1997, Mick left the company and Terry continued production on his own, trading as TP Motors. He made another change to the build in that it was adapted to take Ford Sierra mechanics. He continued production until June 2001 when the factory unit was sold. The Gentry production rights were then sold in December 2002 to the Vintage Motor Car Company in Doncaster, thus moving the car away from its Midlands roots.

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Geoff era

After an unsuccessful time with the Vintage Motor Car Company, the business was bought by Midlands Register members, Geoff & Ellen Beston who returned the production back to the midlands being based in Nuneaton.

At the National Kit Car show at Stoneleigh in May 2008 the car returned to production and is now once again available from the Gentry Motor Car Company as a self build car.

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Jon - era

The sale of the business to the current owners was agreed in late 2018 and completed in early 2019.

 

50 year anniversary

2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the car. In the January 2024 issue of Classics World Magazine Roger Blockley tells us how and why the car is called the Gentry. "However, before advertising the car he needed to find a name for it. Up until now it had been referred to as ‘the MG,’ but obviously that would not fly commercially. ‘I wanted a name that would be obviously English,’ Roger told me. ‘One night, I’d been sitting together with a few friends discussing the problem and trying to come up with something appropriate, but nothing sounded right. Eventually, after consuming a certain amount of liquid refreshment, I needed to attend the ‘facilities.’ And then there it was, right in front of me – the answer I had been searching for was right there over the door: GENTRY." Members can read the full article in the exclusive members section under magazines, 

"Gentry 50 year anniversary by kind permission Classics World Magazine January 2024"

 

Jon Burrows, Chairman of The Gentry Register,

now owns the Gentry Motor Car Company.