05/10/2026
Pride in every vehicle !
Cardiff did you know...? In the late 1960s, one of the most extraordinary sights in the city could be found not at a zoo, but inside a garage on Penarth Road.
Harvey’s Garages was run by businessman Norman Harvey, but it was his unusual companion who made the premises famous. Her name was Sheba, a young lioness who became a remarkable local celebrity.
Sheba arrived in Cardiff from Birmingham in late 1968. Contemporary photographs show her at Norman Harvey’s garage in March 1969, and reports from the time put her weight at more than 160lb while she was still only a youngster. Visitors were even greeted by a warning telling them to “Keep clear of the lioness”.
For many Cardiff residents, the lasting memory is of Sheba stretched out on the roof of a car in the garage window, calmly watching Penarth Road go by. Word spread far beyond the neighbourhood and people travelled from across South Wales and further afield simply to visit the garage and catch a glimpse of her.
Norman and Sheba had an extraordinary relationship. He would play and wrestle with her on the forecourt, apparently confident that she knew the difference between play and aggression. Norman told reporters that although she had the strength to cause serious injury, she kept her claws in when playing with him. He also joked that she would make a better guard animal than a dog.
She was not simply kept out of sight either. Reports recalled that Sheba could sometimes roam around the garage, although she was normally restrained when customers were present. For unsuspecting visitors arriving without warning, buying or servicing a car on Penarth Road could therefore become a considerably more memorable experience than expected.
The story also left a small trace in Cardiff’s business history. Norman Harvey Garages (Cwmbran) Limited was incorporated on 29 November 1966, with its registered address recorded as 281 Penarth Road, Cardiff.
Eventually, concerns about keeping a growing lioness in such surroundings brought Sheba’s time at the garage to an end. Contemporary accounts say she was ultimately given to a safari park. There appear to have been no reported serious incidents involving her during her famous spell in Cardiff.
It is difficult to imagine today, cars in the showroom, mechanics at work, traffic passing along Penarth Road and a lioness lounging on a car roof behind the glass.
But for a generation of Cardiffians, Norman Harvey and Sheba were very real, and Harvey’s garage became one of the city’s most unlikely visitor attractions.
Who remembers going to Penarth Road to see Sheba, or Norman play fighting with her on the forecourt? We would love to hear your memories.
