JCT600 'largest Volkswagen van retailer' after two-site acquisition - AM Online

JCT600 has grown its Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealership to five locations through the acquisition of two sites from Volkswagen Van Centre West Yorkshire.

The Bradford-based AM100 retail group has acquired locations in Cleckheaton and Leeds from the business’s founder and owner Andrew Caygill for an undisclosed fee, adding to its existing sites in York, Hull and Sheffield and a van servicing centre in Leeds.

With five sites, JCT600 said that it believes it is now the largest Volkswagen van retailer in the UK.

JCT600 chief executive John Tordoff said: “The addition of the Cleckheaton and Leeds dealerships is a great fit for us, strengthening our retail van operations in West Yorkshire and giving us coverage across the entire region.”

Group 1 reveals 17,000 six-month order bank for new cars – AM Online

Group 1 in the UK has a back order for 17,000 new cars going into 2023 as it deals with supply constraints.

“Our new vehicle order bank of 17,000 units represents more than a six-month backlog based on first half unit sales,” said Group 1 CEO Earl Hesterberg.

“We continue to believe the pent-up demand built over the past several years due to both Brexit and the very strict pandemic lockdowns will help drive strong UK vehicle demand well into 2023,” he added,” told analysts in the US in a Seeking Alpha transcript.

Vertu Motors sponsors Burnley Football Club – Motor Trader

Vertu Motors has partnered with Burnley Football Club as the club’s Official Car Retailer.

The dealer group’s logo will appear on the back of the club’s three shirts for the duration of the season, and the partnership will also see branding appear around the Turf Moor stadium.

This will include pitch-side advertising. Papa John’s FanZone activities, matchday sponsorship, and player appearances are also included, in addition to various hospitality opportunities.

Vertu is hoping to boost community ties to its Land Rover dealership in Nelson, just four miles north of Burnley, plus five other dealership locations nearby across Bolton, Skipton and Bradford.

Robert Forrester, chief Executive of Vertu Motors, said: “Having been a fan of Burnley Football Club for many years, I am delighted that Vertu Motors has become an official partner.

Inchcape opens 12th bravoauto used car supermarket in former CarShop Express site – AM Online

Inchcape has grown its bravoauto used car supermarket division with the opening of a new store at Sytner’s former Volkswagen dealership in Halifax - just nine months after it opened as a new CarShop Express business.

The bravoauto franchise director Rebecca Sides said: “We’re delighted to be opening our latest store in Halifax, as we expand the bravoauto brand in the north.

“Bravoauto launched in November 2021 with the ambition of giving customers a truly unique buying experience by offering multiple ways to purchase their next car, whether fully or partially online or in store supported by our knowledgeable team. We look forward to welcoming our new customers to our Halifax store.

‘Push’ or ‘pull’? That’s the question facing the new car market of the future - Fleet News

Many of the changes we’re experiencing in the market result from key trends that we have been discussing for several years.

The factors impacting the sector today, such as the semiconductor shortage, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living, are short-term impacts, and in time will pass.

In 2018, global light vehicle production stood at just less than 96.9 million units. In 2019, it dropped slightly, to almost 92.2 million.

In the first year of the pandemic, light vehicle production worldwide dropped precipitously to just 77.7 million units, and production recovered somewhat in 2021, but only to 80.1 million.

So, when we add up 2018 and 2019 and compare that figure with 2020 plus 2021, the global automotive industry has produced approximately 31 million fewer vehicles.

The current economic factors are likely to last for at least the next 12 months, and with consumer confidence in decline, we are likely to see a reduction in the number of units sold this year.

These factors combined are causing a realignment in used vehicle values, and prices in wholesale and retail markets are softening.