As early as 1922, their first summer at the Merton, which they had established when business outgrew Merton House, their guest house established in Halkett Place in 1920, they were operating their own charabanc tours as Mascot Motors, and a company was formally established the following year.
By the outbreak of war in 1939 they had a fleet of 16 open-topped coaches, but these were requisitioned by the Germans during the Occupation and sent to France before the island was cut off after D-Day in 1944.
Hire cars
Recognising the changing demands of holidaymakers Mascot Motors diversified into self-drive hire cars in the 1960s. In 1963 a leaflet for Mascot Motors hire cars showed on its cover a lady collecting a red Morris Oxford, outside the art deco terminal building at Jersey Airport.
Mascot Motors were located at The Weighbridge, alongside the Pomme d'Or Hotel, ideally placed to meet passengers arriving at the Harbour. Holidaymakers in the 1960s were advised: "Your new Mascot car will meet you at the docks or airport - step right in and off you go - see the places you want to see - whenever you please, free of all worries, for as long as you please".
The fleet of Mascot cars included the following vehicles, with daily rates shown in brackets
- 1962 Ford Consul Drop Head and Saloons (£3 5s)
- 1962 Morris Mini Minors and Austin Sevens (£2)
- 1963 Morris Mini Minors and Austin Sevens (£2 5s)
- 1962 Austin A40 and Morris 1000 Saloons and Convertibles (£2)
- 1963 Morris 1000 Saloons and Convertibles (£2 7s 6d)
- 1963 Morris 1100 Saloons (£2 10s)
- Motor Scooter hire 25s per day
Hire cars were restricted to drivers between the ages of 21 and 66. They were required to place a returnable £5 damage deposit when collecting the car, and were told that "the car must NOT be driven on to any beach or sands, to do so is an offence in Jersey .... the hirer shall check and maintain tyre pressures, engine oil and water levels in the car and shall make good any damage caused through neglect of this condition".
Tours
In the mid-1970s Mascot coaches were offering a variety of two-hour morning tours for 65p and 3¼-hour afternoon tours with a stop for tea at 75p. Three-hour evening coastal tours were 70p for adults and 35p for children and there were also nightly coaches to Crazy Nites and other cabaret entertainment, as well as day-trips to France in the Trois Leopards.
Later on Seymour Hotels sold Mascot Motors to Jersey Motor Transport to concentrate on their core hotel business
Click on any image to see a full-size version
One of the earliest charabanc outings from the Merton Hotel in May 1922
The Mascot fleet in 1938 or 1939. The Germans shipped the vehicles to France before June 1944
