Guy Barrington Bromley son of a telecommunications Charles Bromley was born in 1945 at St Pancras, London. The family moved to the Channel Islands in 1947 and immigrated to East Africa in 1956. He attended the Prince of Wales School in Nairobi from 1959 to 1962. He left school, aged 16.
Bromley has 2 daughters, Christianne and Natalie with his first (and only) wife Mary, and 2 sons, Alex and Nicholas.
Bromley started his career with accountants Gill and Johnson in Nairobi, where he unenthusiastically spent the first year of his working life. In 1964, he won an apprenticeship with the Cooper Motor Corporation ltd, sole importer/distributor of Volkswagen, Holden, Rover and Land Rover vehicles in East Africa. In 1967 Bromley was transferred to the company’s Nakuru Branch as workshop supervisor. During the first 3 months of Bromley’s management, workshop turnover had increased by 40% and profitability had increased considerably.
In late ’67, Bromley accepted the position of Assistant Service Manager with Westlands Motors Ltd, sole importer/distributor of Toyota vehicles for Kenya. By 1968, his potential for selling vehicles had been recognised and he was promoted to the position of Technical Sales Executive at the company’s Kenyan head office. During 1969 and 1970, Bromley sold 800 vehicles, mainly new Toyotas. Bromley was a major contributor, when for the first time ever, a Japanese Importer/Distributor made it to the coveted number one position in annual vehicle sales.
In 1971, the company was taken over by international giant Lonrho PLC. Bromley was promoted to the position of Sales Manager and in 1974, General Sales Manager for Kenya. In 1976, he joined the board as Sales Director and later that year, whilst retaining his directorship, was promoted to the position of General Manager for Kenya. The company continued to enjoy success and in June, 1978, under Bromley’s management, sold 444 new Toyota vehicles – a record for any East African vehicle importer/distributor. In 1978 Bromley was promoted to the position of managing director, the position which he held until his resignation in 1984. He maintains that he hadn’t missed a single rung of the ladder!
Bromley was a keen show stand designer and aided by then wife Mary, notched up 11 out of 12 Nairobi International Show first prizes for Toyota, a feat unlikely to be equalled.
In 1962, as a 16 year – old school boy, Bromley rode a Suzuki 250 Twin Ace motor cycle from Nairobi to the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa and then North to the Sabaki River. Road conditions were appalling in pre-independent Kenya but in spite of several traumas on the way, he completed the first 300 mile sector to Mombasa in 13 hours.
1962- Suzuki 250 Twin Ace-Kenya
This was the first time that this had been accomplished by a solo rider on a Japanese motor cycle. This Suzuki Twin Ace was from the first consignment of Japanese vehicles imported into Kenya for the retail sales market Bromley has maintained a keen interest in vintage and classic cars. He has owned many over the years, including the famous 1934 Works Singer Le Mans team car, BPG 333 which had completed the 1934 Le Mans, finishing 7th overall and 2nd in its class. His favourite is a 1928 model “A” Ford which he purchased in 1970 and still owns to this day. During the early 1970’s Bromley restored the old Ford to concours and won many events during his ownership. These included the prestigious Car and General competition in 1983 for the most original and best condition car in Kenya. In 1973, Bromley and then wife Mary entered a 350-mile timed event in the Ford, from capitol Nairobi to the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa, via the Teita Hills. It was contested by 20 vintage and classic vehicles. They dropped just 4 minutes in the one-and-a-half-day event, winning it outright.
In addition to the ’28 Ford, Bromley also owns a rare 1977 Toyota Celica 2000 GT, a 1957 Peugeot 403, a rare MG TF 1500, 2 early 1960s’ Suzuki 250s including a very rare 250 Twin Ace, a 1964 Honda Dream 300 and the icon of all scooters, a 1961 Vespa 150GS. They are all in good running order and maintained in his Fulwell Road workshops.
In the early 1970’s, Bromley put his hand to Motor Rallying, winning several annual championships. He was later instrumental with much of the rally development of a Corolla “30” series saloon. The sluggish 1200cc engine was exchanged for a1600cc twin cam, and later for a 2000cc Toyota/Yamaha twin cam unit. Navigated by Trevor Hall initially and later by John Mitchell, he enjoyed many successes, including a number of outright wins in Group One events and many top placings in the tough Kenya National Championships Rallies – often only being beaten by factory prepared works vehicles, with much greater budgets. In some events, he out drove the works vehicles too. By 1982, Bromley had topped the Automobile Association of East Africa’s seeding chart.
In 1980 and ’81, Bromley completed the 5,500 kilometre – Safari Rally, recognised at the time as the longest and toughest in the World Rally Championship (WRC) series, gaining second position in class 5. By 1982, Bromley had topped the AA ranking of East African seeded rally drivers.
1981 Safari Rally
Finish Safari Rally 1981
Bromley immigrated to the UK in 1984 where he has established and runs a successful property business. He is also an acknowledged authority on post war tin toys, modelled on Japanese vehicles and has built up a large collection.