Cottman’s Triumph & Indian dealers

When I was working at Frank Mussett & Co Triumph Importers in the early seventies I noticed the older parts books were stamped Cottmans & Co and I knew they were Triumph dealers up to about 1959/60 till Frank bought them out and got the agency for Triumph & Velocette. What I never realised was they sold Indian’s post war, as Milledge Bros had done pre war these recently unearthed photos show in 1948 they proudly sold the brand with Velocette and other makes, Indian were heavily taxed post war though and only small lots would have been sold before Indian closed in 1953.  I expect with the amount of Army surplus machines for under 5 pounds and mountains of cheap spares there would be little profit in American machinery, Triumph on the other hand were selling like hot cakes and Velocette with their victorious KTT racer setting a trend would have been a nice brand promoting MAC & MSS models as well.