CAR LEGEND DRIVES OFF INTO THE SUNSET
Lawrence of Kemnay dealer dies at 99
THE founder of one of Scotland’s best-known car dealerships has died just four months short of his 100th birthday.
Norman Lawrence, who launched Lawrence of Kemnay in the Aberdeenshire village in the 60s, was still driving at 99 and became the oldest motorist in the UK to pass a driving test.
When he started driving, no one was required to sit a test.
Last year, the Daily Record went for a spin with the humble motor tycoon after he’d picked up his new car.
His last car had done more than 100,000 miles in 10 years, so Norman went to the dealership he founded and asked for an upgrade.
Despite being 98, Norman wasn’t interested in downsizing and opted for a top-of-the-range Mondeo.
A World War II veteran, great grandfather Norman saw action at Dunkirk and at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942.
And with the same fighting spirit, he passed the advanced driving test at the age of 95 after hearing a radio phone-in where elderly drivers were being panned. Callers suggested they shouldn’t be allowed to drive beyond 90.
Norman said: “I was 94 so I went to an Institute of Advanced Motorists meeting at Inverurie. You’re given a mentor who goes out in the car with you.
“I went to four meetings and they looked at me as if to say, ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I passed my advanced driving test at 95.”
Norman had been driving since he was 18 but the only test he’d ever had to sit was for a motorbike.
When he started his business, he became the main dealer in the north-east for Vauxhall but later switched to Ford.
The Lawrence of Kemnay business continues in his name at Inverurie.
Norman retired at 71 and handed the reins over to his daughter Helen and her husband Iain Crighton.
He continued to live in Kemnay after the death of his wife Peggy. He enjoyed golf, bowling and regular Saturday drives.
Norman passed away in a care home in Banchory. His funeral will be held at Kemnay Parish Church on Friday at 1pm.