Driven 60 Anniversary Edition Welcome to our special edition, Contents. 60th Anniversary Driven magazine. 4-5 Czechoslovakia to Cambridge Discover the story and military history of Vindis Group Founder, Frank Vindis. 6-7 Let’s look back Take a look at some our brand’s advertisements throughout the years. 8-10 A trip down memory lane Meet Phil Dimmock, Vindis Group’s first ever customer! 11 Welcome to the Express Store! Whilst looking back over the last 60 years it quickly became Our 100% online car buying experience. apparent that we couldn’t possibly pack every stand out moment Find out about the Vindis Express Store. and celebration into this magazine. From humble beginnings, the Vindis Group has grown into the business it is today, thanks to its hard 12-13 1960 - 2020 working staff and wonderful customers, some who have been with We take a trip down memory lane with us the whole time as you will find out later on. a look at some of the key dates in Vindis Group’s history! This year we became the first to offer a full online sales experience for new, demonstrator and used cars, which was a hugely exciting 14-15 Here’s to the future prospect for all of us at Vindis Group, and we look forward to the From concept to production - what does launch of our brand new website for a more refined customer the future of electric mobility look like? experience. 16 Motability at Vindis It’s been a year full of challenges for us all, with COVID-19 forcing us to change the way we operate, but we’re looking forward to a We’re proud to keep customers mobile positive 2021 with some exciting product on the way as our brands through the Motability Scheme. pave the way for the future of electric mobility. 17 From sponsorships to launches Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you all soon. Some of our stand out moments from over the years. Jamie Vindis Managing Director, Vindis Group 2 3 After an initial posting to 310 Squadron on From Czechoslovakia to August 6th, he moved to 6 Operational Training Unit at RAF Sutton Bridge in Cambridgeshire, via the French Lincolnshire, in order to retrain for a third time, this time on British Hurricane fighter aircraft. Frank rejoined 310 Squadron at Duxford in Foreign Legion. Cambridgeshire and flew his first sortie on October 20th. This is the story of Frank Vindis. Returning from a patrol in the Maidstone area, in Hurricane P8809, Frank was forced to At Vindis Group we’re proud of our make an emergency landing due to failing oil heritage, and our story begins back pressure in his aircraft. After repair, Frank took in June 1918 with the birth of Frantisek off only to crash in poor visibility on approach to (Frank) Vindis, in Přerov, Czechoslovakia. Wattisham. On 4th February 1942, Frank caused Frank founded the first Vindis dealership damage to a German Junkers Ju 88, and on Sawston High Street in 1960, but prior shared in the destruction of another on 28th to this our founder had a long military April. Following all this action, Frank completed history that we’re equally proud of. Let us his operational tour and was rested. tell you Frank’s story. After joining the Czech Air Force in 1936, Frank attended the Military Flying School Commissioned on 15th June 1943, he rejoined at Prostejov and completed his training to 310 Squadron and again shared success with become a fighter pilot. In 1939, following Otto Smik in destroying a German Focke-Wulf the movement of German troops into Fw190 in June 1944. At the end of his second Czechoslovakia, Frank was demobilised, tour he was posted to 10 Flying Instructors’ escaped to Poland, before taking a ship School, at Woodley, for a course, shortly before to France and joining the French Foreign being transferred Colerne, as a ferry pilot. Legion alongside his fellow Czech airmen. With the declaration of war on Germany, He remained with 310 until March 31 1944 when, for health reasons, he was taken by Britain and France, Frank was transferred off operational flying and was posted to a ground role at the Czechoslovak Wing at to the French Air Force, and assigned to Exeter. Following a further post to 313 Squadron for a third tour, Frank was awarded the Escadron Regionale de Chasse 572 at Distinguished Flying Cross on 28th December 1944. Oran, Algeria.After further training, and a stint retraining on French aircraft, he finally Frank and his family returned home to Czechoslovakia in August 1945 where he remained joined 571 Escadrille on November 16th. with the Czechoslovak Air Force for a futher three years. In 1948, following the Communist The following year Frank was posted to takeover and subsequent pressure from the Communist authorities, he escaped to the Casablanca, Morocco and equipped with American Zone in Germany and returned to Britain to rejoin the RAF as a Flying Officer a Dewoitine D.510 and Nieuport-Delage until the end of 1954. Moving into Air Traffic NiD.622 French fighter aircraft. In June, following the entry of Italy into the war, he returned Control for the latter part of his career he to Mansouriah airbase in Algeria in anticipation of Italian attacks. finally retired as a Flight Lieutenant following a long, very busy, but highly successful After the French surrender to German forces, the Czechoslovak airmen were released military career. from the French Air Force and on June 28th they undertook a four-day train journey back to Casablanca in order to board the troopships Britannic, to reach Gibraltar, and The final chapter of Frank’s life was spent Neuralia which arrived in Liverpool on July 12th. It was then on to Cholmondeley, to the settled in Cambridgeshire where his story Czechoslovak transit camp, and on to the RAF Czechoslovak Depot at Cosford. On July may become more familiar to you. The story 26th he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and so began the start of Frank’s of our story begins right here as Frank set up military career in Britain. his own motor business in Sawston. 4 5 Take a look back at some of these original advertisements from over the years. You can see the evolution of our brand’s designs, but if you look carefully you can still see key design features echoed in today’s models. 6 7 A trip down memory lane with the Vindis Group’s first ever customer. We were lucky enough to hear from Mr Dimmock, who has fond memories of his first car, purchased at our Sawston dealership all those years ago. When a man by the name of Phil Dimmock Compelled by Phil’s story we asked what he popped into our Huntingdon Volkwagen retailer, thought when he first saw the car gleaming under clutching some paperwork and asking to speak the lights in the humble Sawston showroom; “Oh to Gary Vindis, Chairman of the Vindis Group, I loved it. I thought to myself, I think I might have our ears pricked up. Phil excitedly told us that he one of them.” thought he may be the Vindis Group’s first ever customer. After a long conversation and a look Phil remembers how the vehicle’s engine was at the handover pack he was given when his mounted in the rear and was air cooled with no purchased the car, we think he may be right. We water to worry about. After our question as to didn’t want to miss out on hearing about Phil’s whether the NSU was fun to drive, he laughed and story and early memories of the Vindis Group continued; “Yeah, you had to put a bit of weight so we invited him back to our Head Office for a in it sometimes at the front, as all the weight was at more in depth interview. the back but it was very fun to drive.” Phil, or Pip as he was known by Frank and his Phil’s memory of the vehicle is still as clear friends, moved up from Edmonton, North London as the day he picked it up. He continued to to the sleepy town of Sawston, Cambridgeshire in recollect the registration as if he still owned the the 1960’s; as did many other Londoners because car; “It was HER 47F. I remember it because it “house prices were a lot cheaper back then.” was HER and not MINE!” Phil joked. “I remember very well the first time I met Frank Phil took us down memory lane as he Vindis. He used to reminisced about the many road trips he had in come out and serve his beloved NSU. “Soon after I bought it, I had a “I had a good idea us petrol because tow bar attached to the back and I bought a about what it might back in those days little 12ft touring caravan. We set off as a family be. You see, I had someone came to Wells-next-the-Sea and the following week we out and filled your toured the Lake District and Scotland. The NSU just read about this car up for you. One was very reliable, we had no trouble at all with it.” new car in a motor morning I went to magazine. Well, he fill up my own car After keeping the car for around six or seven at the time, which years, Phil received a company car at his place gave in and let me was a Hillman of work so his cherished NSU was then polished have a peek at the Super Minx, when I and stored in his garage under a white sheet, just car” noticed a car under as it was when Phil first purchased it.