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Wearne Bros. Garage In Singapore
The picture shows the Wearne Bros. garage in Singapore with several cars. Wearne Brothers have a long history in Singapore/Malaya which started in 1893 when 14-year-old Theodore James Benjamin Wearne (TJB) arrived in Singapore from Australia to take up an engineering apprenticeship from which he was successful and became a ships engineer. However, after 8 years (1906) he saw the future of motoring and decided to open a shop in Orchard Road, Singapore with his brother, Charlie Frederick Foster Wearne, selling second-hand cars and spare parts.
In 1910 they were appointed sole agents for Ford cars in Singapore and Malaya, selling 137 cars in the first year and 300 in 1911.
Wearne Brothers Ltd. was formed in November 1912 and branches were opened in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. Later the company took on the Morris franchise and British Leyland, Austin, Jaguar, Daimler, Rolls-Royce, Chrysler and Holden.
In the 1930s, the company introduced the Yellow Top Cab service in Singapore. And in 1937, it inaugurated the first commercial air service between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
To see a photograph of Wearne Brothers, Ipoh, click here.
Much more information is available on the company’s website at http://www.wearnes.com/heritage.shtml