Features

Neil Simpson started working in car retailing as a boy, assisting his father at the used car business and petrol station in Colne, Lancashire, founded by his grandfather in 1945. He sold his first car at the age of 16 and has never looked back. Before taking over the family business in 2001 he carved out a career as a ...

Shropshire group Shukers has a very long history, under the umbrella of an even older name. Engineering firm Rubery Owen was founded in the 19th century and counts among its achievements building 1960s F1 World Championship-winning BRNs for Graham Hill and Donald Campbell’s Bluebird world land speed record car. These days Shukers is best known as a Land Rover dealer ...

Dorset-based Ocean Automotive is one of the latest recruits to the growing Volvo  network with its decision to represent the brand in Poole neatly coinciding with the brand rolling out its plush new Swedish-style corporate identity. The result is a brand-new 5,500 sq ft Volvo centre, with showroom space for six new cars and a display area for over 25 ...

Seat is on the up. The Volkswagen Group brand has ambitious growth plans with the arrival of the new Leon beginning a major range revitalisation programme which will see the brand debut its first SUV next year. Sales volumes are already on the rise, up 18% in 2014. The brand is also rolling out a new corporate identity across the ...

Park’s is one of Scotland’s largest multi-franchise groups, rated 32 in the Motor Trader Top 200 with 45 outlets and 21 different franchises across the volume and prestige sectors. New brands added in the last 18 months include Maserati and McLaren. It has come a long way since it was formed in 1971 by Douglas Park who started a coach-hire ...

Swansway Group reveals how it is developing the Stafford Land Rover business it acquired in 2012 in this special Dealer Insight sponsored by AutoProtect. Staffordshire-based Swansway Group is a young company, established in 2003, but clearly going places. Rated 30 in the Motor Trader Top 200, the company is also the highest dealer group in the 2014 Great Place to ...

Neil White explains how he built up a £30m business in Surrey representing Mazda, Hyundai and Suzuki, in this special Dealer Insight sponsored by AutoProtect. In 1980 Neil White took a 50% pay cut from his role running overseas operations for a major consumer goods company to become a salesman at the family firm. Back then TW White & Sons ...

Guy Foster, managing director of Southampton dealer Newmans, reveals how he built up a prosperous business with strong support from Suzuki in this special Dealer Insight sponsored by AutoProtect. An interview with Suzuki sales and marketing director Dale Wyatt in last month’s Motor Trader concluded that it was a “good time to be a Suzuki dealer”. Guy Foster would certainly ...

The van market is becoming ever more competitive and for dealers who cover the commercial vehicle sector

Situated adjacent to the Williams F1 racing team, the spacious surroundings of the Grove, Oxfordshire premises of Vauxhall dealer Bellinger are immediately obvious.