Day's Motor Group turns 100 years old today in Swansea

Day’s Motor Group officially turns 100 today, a century to the day since Charles Edward Manton Day opened a small Singer dealership on St Helen’s Road with just eight members of staff.

The milestone year was marked in March with a visit from Swansea Council’s leader, but Friday is the date on the birth certificate, and the company is marking it with a centenary campaign celebrating the customers and staff behind the business.

The Swansea that Charles Day opened his doors into was a different world: 1926 was the year of the General Strike, the town was still two decades from city status, and Singer was one of the biggest names in British motoring.

The company has outlived the brand it was founded to sell. Singer built its last car in 1970, while the Swansea garage that sold them was already deep into a partnership with Ford that began in 1934 and continues today.

In between came a world war, petrol rationing, the fuel crises of the 1970s and the transformation of the motor trade itself, with the firm adapting through each of them.

Vintage image of mechanics working inside Day's Motor Group workshop during its early years — Then: mechanics at work in the company’s early years (Image: Day’s Motor Group)

Car showroom at Day's Motor Group displaying a range of modern vehicles — Then: mechanics at work in the company’s early years (Image: Day’s Motor Group)

The eight employees of 1926 have become more than 500, across vehicle retail, fleet, rental and finance operations, with the company saying its rental division now runs more than 10,000 vehicles across the UK and Day’s Fleet managing over 8,500 for businesses nationwide.

And it remains a family firm, with the fourth generation in charge: Russell Day as chief executive, Graham Day as chairman and Jill Day as director.

“This milestone really belongs to the people who made it possible”

“Reaching 100 years is an incredibly proud moment for everyone connected with Day’s,” Russell Day said. “While we’re celebrating the longevity of the business, this milestone really belongs to the people who made it possible.

“We want to thank the generations of customers who have trusted us, the thousands of colleagues who have built their careers with us, and the communities that have supported us over the last century.”

The company he leads bears little resemblance to his great-grandfather’s garage, spanning more than 14 locations and representing brands from Ford and Peugeot to newer arrivals Chery and Geely, names that did not exist when the doors first opened.

The next century starts with the industry changing faster than at any point since Charles Day’s era, as electric vehicles and leasing reshape how Wales drives.

Russell Day said the business intends to meet it head on. “The automotive industry is changing rapidly, and we’re excited to continue investing, innovating and helping Wales move forward for generations to come.”

A hundred years after eight people opened the doors on St Helen’s Road, the name over them hasn’t changed.