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Family-owned garage Highway Auto Centre in Hacklinge, near Deal, opens after redesign with fourth generation joining team

05:00, 03 August 2022

A family is back behind the wheels at a long-running garage after two decades - with even the original owner's great-grandsons now on board.

Highway Auto Centre in Hacklinge, near Deal, was bought by Philip Luck in 1989 and traded as Highway Motors - a name it held since the 60s.

Left to right: Co owners Michelle and Jamie Luck, apprentice Shane Luck, manager Mark Percival, MOT testers Callum Major and Richard Buckler, and former owner David Luck
Left to right: Co owners Michelle and Jamie Luck, apprentice Shane Luck, manager Mark Percival, MOT testers Callum Major and Richard Buckler, and former owner David Luck

His son David took over in the 1990s, but has leased it to a tenant since 2000.

Now, Philip's grandson Jamie Luck has taken over with his wife and twin sons Shane and Joseph, 17, who are working as apprentices.

They have completely flattened the original garage and rebuilt the whole site.

Jamie, 43, said: "I bought it back from my dad a few years ago when the tenant left and now myself, my wife and my two sons have taken it over as a family.

"We redeveloped the whole site and now we are officially open with the new name.

Philip Luck purchased the garage in the 80s
Philip Luck purchased the garage in the 80s
The garage has been in the family since the 80s. Picture: Jamie Luck
The garage has been in the family since the 80s. Picture: Jamie Luck
How it looks after the redesign. Picture: Jamie Luck
How it looks after the redesign. Picture: Jamie Luck

"I'm nervous as it's quite a big step for us as a family, but I'm excited."

Jamie says he was offered the garage five years ago and eventually "took the plunge".

"We got the keys on Christmas Eve last year and from then until now we've had our building hats on and we've been knocking it down, getting it ready with new equipment and state of the art technology," he said.

"We flattened the garage, knocked it all down and rebuilt the whole site.

"The sentimental value of this site is more important to us than the financial side of it."

One of the MOT bays
One of the MOT bays

The garage in Sandwich Road has MOT and service bays and electric vehicle-charging points.

Philip Luck also ran Mill Service Station in Dover Road after purchasing it in 1978.

Jamie ran the site for 16 years but it is now on the market.

Philip died in 2011 but spent his career purchasing garages all over the UK to redevelop them.

He eventually settled in Deal in the late 1970s with his wife June after falling in love with the area.

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