Purveyors of Rare Automobiles and Motorcycles in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
In a prominent position in Royal Tunbridge Wells you’ll find a magnificent car showroom – but not any car showroom, this one is a purveyor of rare automobiles and motorcycles called Dylan Miles.
It’s my absolute pleasure to tell you so much more….
I met up with Dylan and his team on 11th September 2023 when he arrived back from an action packed weekend at the Goodwood Revival on a hot and sunny day.
Dylan is no stranger to cars and motorcycles they have been a major part of his life since he was born. His father, Simon dedicated his life to restoring rare Brough Superiors (a high-performance motorcycle designed for speed and luxury). However, It was his father’s Aston Martin DB5 Convertible and a Ferrari Daytona that really captured his interest and his fascination to pursue a career in his lifelong passion.
I first met Dylan Miles back in 2017 when he worked at JD Classics in Mayfair, our paths crossed a few times after at various automotive events, including at Salon Privé where I was photographing the event and he had just launched Dylan Miles Ltd and was exhibiting his collection of cars for sale.
A luxurious showroom beautifully designed with attention to detail to house some of the most sought after automobiles and motorcycles.
An inspiring collection of automotive artworks adorn the walls. Including two of my limited edition photographs seen at the top of this photograph of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe from a private collection – these Artist Proofs are available for purchase.
My collaboration with Dylan Miles combines our shared passion for the design and detail of fine automobiles and motorcycles to give first-class personal customer service and an experience to enjoy.
As well as photographing people, I love photographing their personal collections of classic & supercars and motorcycles to create provenance and visual memory for wall art and tailor-made coffee table books – unique to each recipient. Each automobile is photographed in locations meaningful to the owner to reflect their lifestyle. This link tells you more.
Take a further look inside the Dylan Miles showroom via the images below. The Camaro on the forecourt is a fully restored 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 in its original colour of Rallye Green.
Below photograph of Dylan Miles centre, with Showroom Manager Matt Landers, left, and Josh Holmes, Showroom Assistant right.
More about Dylan and the history of the showroom…
Dylan says:
I’ve worked with some great companies, including RM Sotheby’s, Fiskens, Autosport Designs in New York, and JD Classics. Lots of people joked about how many different jobs I’ve had in the motor trade, but then there’s method to my madness because I’ve forged very good relationships with a lot of significant and influential people, from whom I’ve learned a lot. And today, everyone who I’ve worked with in the past I’m still doing regular business with, so it’s paying dividends.
The history of the showroom:
Transformed over nine months an extensive restoration programe was undertaken and opened in January 2023.
A building with strong automotive links. Directly next door at number 11 London Road stood a respected Victorian carriage company that constructed lavish horse-drawn carriages called AA Cundell. In 1907 the site was taken over by J. Rawsons and Sons who held the concession for Austin, Daimler, Essex and other British marques. In 1909 the showrooms 12-16 London Road were erected directly next door at the request of Mr. G Stevenson, who, at the time was director of Rawsons. He established G. Stevenson Engineers – The Kent and Sussex Garage Ltd and offered both sales and maintenance, becoming a concession for Humber, Wolseley and many other marques of the day. The building remained occupied by Stevensons well into the 1960s who by then were a franchised dealer for Standard Triumph.
By the late 1970s, the building was taken over by Pace Petroleum, acting as a petrol station, and later became home to a local Suzuki dealership. For the past few years the building was taken over by Westminster Outdoor Living until Dylan Miles acquired it in April 2022. The rest, as they say, is history! Well done to Dylan for restoring the building – a tremendous asset to London Road and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
The building has to be one of the last remaining working showrooms that exists worldwide today. Dylan’s empathy and a nod to a bygone era are evident for all to see. Viewings at the showroom are by appointment.
Watch this space for further updates on collaborations with Dylan Miles.
If you or someone you know has a classic & supercar collection worthy of a photo shoot I’d love to hear from you, simply call me on 0777 181 0105 or email me.
You can contact the friendly team at Dylan Miles via their website here.
Thanks for reading!
Stella
