ZAHEER Iqbal is counting on the loyalty of existing customers after taking over a family-run garage in Oxford.

JH Howkins in Osney Mead, West Oxford, closed last month after a connection with the site dating back 120 years.

Now Mr Iqbal has taken over the garage site and hopes to build on the Howkins' success over the years.

Brothers Alan and Paul Howkins retired last month after working at the Ferry Hinksey Road site since the early 1970s.

Mr Iqbal has opened HiQ Oxford Tyres & Autocare, operated under franchise as part of the HiQ chain.

Father-of-two Mr Iqbal, 44, said: "Customers kept coming here for years because they knew they could trust the Howkins and we want to build on the goodwill of those customers.

"My father, Jahangir, a cabbie in Oxford for 40 years, spotted the opportunity, and suggested I go for it – he saw the for sale sign.

"There aren't many small garages left in Oxford and we want to provide a good service for the local community."

Mr Iqbal, who has worked as a building surveyor for the past 20 years, gained his surveyor's qualifications at Oxford Brookes University in the early 1990s.

Mechanic John Edwards, who worked for the Howkins, has stayed on, and three new mechanics are being hired.

Mr Iqbal said: "We will try to tackle everything that the Howkins brothers tackled – in some ways it is easier to service a car that is 10 to 15 years old rather than a brand new one because they are less complicated.

"The other day a woman who lives nearby was in her Honda Civic on the Botley Road when the drive shaft broke.

"She got the AA to give her a tow and we managed to get the car back on the road the same day for about £160.

"She was delighted, as she relies on the car to drive to her work in Banbury and promised to bring her dad's car in for a service."

Mr Iqbal, who drives a Mercedes 190, said he was considering setting up a free monthly class for drivers to teach them the basics of checking their vehicles.

"They can put on an old pair of jeans and we can show them how to check the oil and the depth of the tread on their tyres," he said.

"It could be a way of helping customers to maintain their own vehicles."

As well as MoTs the garage will repair exhausts and replace worn-out tyres.

Mr Iqbal added: "As we are part of HiQ that gives us a better deal when it comes to tyre prices.

"Alan Howkins has called in once or twice to see if there is any advice he can pass on.

"Business has been steady so far and that's all credit to Alan and Paul because they ran such a reliable garage."