Chaters......A History. 
Let me introduce myself, my name is Clive Stroud (Managing Director) and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to our website. Chater's undoubtedly is one of the greatest for automotive literature to be found anywhere. A bold claim, but made none the less with confidence. Chater's have the knowledge of over half a century's worth of motoring book-selling experience. We are proud in the knowledge that we have a continually growing database of motoring titles (now exceeding 20,000) at our disposal.

A great excitement fills us with the prospect of sharing our wealth of knowledge on such a vast scale via the Internet. The thought of seeing our company which was established in 1957 by my father Frank Stroud, now offering the same high level of services to a new generation and breed of motoring enthusiast for the next Millennium excites us even more.

Who could have predicted the future, when back in the 1950's Chater & Scott was a lending library and a general second hand book shop based in Chiswick. 1956 saw the introduction of a handful of motoring books to our stock and much to our surprise they didn't stay long on our shelves. The reason behind this was due to visitors from the nearby sports car specialists "Chequered Flag" and "Maranello Concessionaires" (who during those days were based near Kew Bridge). They would pop in and buy whatever was available. As a result we increased our motoring stock and decided to get a little braver in our new venture.

Picture taken in 1963 when we had a Leyland Van

 

 

Chater's......Tentative steps

We contacted the Goodwood Motor racing circuit and booked a spot in the "Green" enclosure, it was a bit of a gamble, as the rent was £2.50! When we arrived we were slightly encouraged by the lack of competition except for one gentleman by the name of Les Leston who specialised in all sorts of racing gear but not books. Upon our arrival, we laid a blanket on the ground, made a display of our stock (which had been transported in three hefty suitcases) and eagerly awaited the arrival of any likely customers. Much to our relief we attracted a few and left Goodwood that evening with a few extra pounds in our pocket, we were on our way.

Having gained this promising experience we then tried our luck at Brands Hatch , Silverstone, Thruxton and Crystal Palace race circuits. The next step was the Racing Car Show, where Allen Burgess of Karting Magazine rented us a corner of his stand, measuring just three-foot wide. Realising if we could say "yes" to most enquiries then perhaps making a living just specialising in motoring books was possible. In 1960 the decision was made to make Chater & Scott Ltd a specialist bookshop devoted to the subject of motoring. The company Chater & Scott Ltd still exists today, but we have been trading under the now recognised name of Chater's Motoring Booksellers since the late 1980s.

 

Chater's...Now.

Over the years, Chater's have strived to maintain the finest selection of motoring books on offer, to sell anywhere in the world. At our main shop located in Hook, Hampshire, it is evident we have been successful in our quest (judging by the vast stock of both current and out-of-print items displayed and being sold on our heaving bookshelves). Our new premises now offer our customers ample free parking and a relaxed atmosphere in which to browse. My staff aim to provide you with the highest form of customer service and look wherever possible to enhance your experience with us. We are passionate about all aspects of motoring as well lovers of fine automotive literiture too!  If we do not have a particular book you require, we will endeavour to find it for you via our back order service.

Many of our customers have remarked on how "far too tempting" our collection is and how they enter our premises in fear of spending more than they had intended in doing. Still many customers return time and time again, from all corners of the globe to browse through our impressive stocks. So often are some of the visits, we now recognise these individuals as friends rather than customers.

In addition to our Hook branch, we also have a fully stocked shop at Brands Hatch (open on race days).

Our company has expanded to include a 15 ton truck (which carries stock to mirror our shop in Hook). This attends major motoring events in the U.K (such as Goodwood, Silverstone, Donnington, and many more). We also attend the overseas exhibitions in Europe such as Le Mans 24 hours and Techno-Classica (Essen, Germany) to name but a few.

 

We look forward to your visit, be it in person or on the Web and hope that you enjoy your experience.

 

Thank you and once again welcome to Chater's Motoring Motoring Booksellers. 

 

Yours faithfully

 

Clive Stroud.