Auto Stacker

The Auto Stacker was an ill-fated but ambitious project by Woolwich Borough Council in south-east London. It cost £100,000 in 1961 and was located on Beresford Street, Woolwich. As the name suggests, the Auto Stacker was a machine that parked cars in a stack, using a combination of conveyor belts and lifts to move vehicles from ground level to one of 256 carpark spaces. It was, effectively, an automated multi-storey car park, and was situated above a car showroom, workshop and petrol station. It was officially opened by Princess Margaret on 11 May 1961. However, at the opening ceremony, the demonstration vehicle got stuck and had to be manhandled in. The Auto Stacker never worked properly and was demolished in 1962 at a cost of £60,000.