Just a few days ago we told you the story of Kegel Motorcycle, an official Harley-Davidson dealership located in northern Illinois, considered the oldest dealership in the world for the Milwaukee firm. Today we bring you a similar case, that of Millard Motorcycles that, with his 130 years of historyit is probably lthe motorcycle store that has been active for the longest time on the entire planet.
Furthermore, as a curious fact, both the Harley establishment and this other one located in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, a dependency of the United Kingdom located in the Channel Islands, have always been under the management of the same family; from its beginnings to the present day, with several generations involved in the management of the business throughout more than a century of history.
Millard Motorcycles and its centenary record
The story about whether or not Millard Motorcycles was the oldest motorcycle shop in the world began in 2020. Then, coinciding with their anniversary on February 26 of that same season, they declared themselves “The Oldest Motorcycle Dealer in the World.” In an interview with local media Tim Millard, who was the store manager at that time, stated:
“This all arose following the recent death of a member of our family and the discovery of an article in the Wiltshire Times of February 26, 1896, which reported that my great-grandfather, Thomas Millard, had sold the first motorized tricycle in his shop in Fore Street, Trowbridge. The customer paid around £100 for this vehicle and the article relates that, upon receiving it, he drove to Beckington.”
“The event attracted such a large crowd that it blocked the wide street in front of the shop. In addition to our research on Facebook, which generated a good response from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and parts of Asia, we would like to invite BDN readers to take up the challenge of finding a motorcycle workshop that still exists and has documented evidence of its first motorcycle or tricycle sale before February 26, 1896.”
He concluded by giving the right of reply to anyone who believed they were wrong regarding this curious record of commercial longevity: “If there is any motorcycle workshop in the world that can surpass that, we will gladly give up the title.” Already in 2025, with almost 130 years of activity, Sophie Millard, Tim’s daughter, gave a short summary of everything the business and its components have experienced during all this time.
This has only just begun
In addition, on the store’s official website we can find an extensive detailed article that lists the key moments of Millard Motorcycles throughout this unique journey. They explain the multiple changes in the store’s management until reaching the current time or, for example, in 1967, the family received a commemorative plaque from the BSA for their 50 years of service. In fact, the local newspaper Guernsey Press published an article about it.
Back in 2008, to celebrate its centenary, Millard Motorcycles organized the largest motorcycle exhibition on the island. Two hundred classic and vintage motorcycles and more than 2,000 people They attended an event that ended up becoming massive. There were even renowned special guests such as Michael Rutter and John McGuiness, highlighting the relevance of this century-old dealership in the United Kingdom.
