Mylchreests, one of the Isle of Man’s longest-standing and most respected motor businesses, has announced the closure of its Douglas-based headquarters on 17 April, bringing to an end more than six decades of parts, sales and servicing operations.

Established in 1961, the family-run firm confirmed the decision “with extreme reluctance and one that is tinged with great sadness given the loyalty of staff and customers on the Island over generations”. It follows mounting pressure on smaller franchised dealers, which the company said made its position increasingly untenable.

The business was founded by Brian Mylchreest on Westmoreland Road and went on to become a cornerstone of Manx motoring, securing long-standing franchises with Jaguar, Land Rover, Subaru and Isuzu, and representing Rolls Royce/Bentley from 1975. Mylchreests also operates the Island’s leading car rental and airport parking services at Ronaldsway, which it confirmed will continue unaffected.

“The retail motor industry has changed hugely over the past decade, during which time we have witnessed the closure or streamlining of a number of smaller independent garages and family-run businesses throughout the UK,” the company said. “This is a trend that we anticipate will continue for some time and one which makes a small, franchised operation such as ours increasingly challenging.”

Current managing director James Mylchreest said the priority is supporting staff and ensuring customers are well looked after. The company also paid tribute to the loyalty of the Manx public and the many employees who have contributed to its history, stating: “We would like to sincerely thank the wider Isle of Man community for their friendship over more than 60 years. It has been a genuine privilege to be such a major part of the Island’s motoring heritage for so long and thank you for being part of our story.”

With deep family roots stretching back three generations, Mylchreests has played a pivotal role in the Island’s automotive history, famously providing the Roads Open car for the TT Races in the early 1960s and moving to a purpose-built facility in Douglas in 2001.

Although its sales and servicing chapter is drawing to a close, the Mylchreest name will remain present on the Island through its rental and parking business, ensuring that, in the words of the company, “a proud legacy of service and customer care will continue”.