COACH company France’s Motors has been bought by York Pullman after 83 years as a family business.

Frederick France, aged 66, is retiring from the business while his brother and fellow director, Timmy France, aged 69, retired six years ago.

York Pullman will continue to run the business under the France’s Motors name and will take on six of the company’s 14 staff, with the others retiring.

France’s Motors, which also has a haulage arm, was set up in Market Weighton in 1927 by James France, when he bought some lorries. Frederick said his father intended to set up a lorry dealership, but when he couldn’t sell the lorries, he decided to use them for haulage instead.

He then bought some coaches and ran two separate businesses, the haulage company called R & J France and coach business Ideal Motor Services.

Frederick and Timmy amalgamated the businesses in 1971 and registered the company as France’s Motors. The business will sell off the lorries from the haulage business.

Frederick said he was sad to retire after 40 years at the business, and there were no other members of the family interested in taking the business on.

“You don’t get many family businesses that last 83 years. They usually fall out. It’s sad, but I’m pleased we will still see them running about the East Riding with our name still on them.

“I have worked seven days a week for the last 40 years. It never stops when you have a family business.

“I’m going to take a few holidays, relax and spend a bit more time with my grandchildren. I had a granddaughter just born in November so I’ll get to spend more time with her,” he said.

York Pullman can also trace its history back to the early 1920s, when garage owner Norman Pearce started operating a service between York and Stamford Bridge.