A little bit about us...
Vertu Motors plc was formed in 2006 to acquire and consolidate UK motor retail businesses. It was founded as a new entrant into the UK motor retail sector and is listed on the AIM market (UK:VTU).
The Vertu Motors Group operates a nationwide chain of over 195 franchised and non-franchised motor dealerships which offer sales, servicing, parts and bodyshop facilities for new and used cars and commercial vehicles. These dealerships fall under the trading names Vertu Motors, Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors.
Specialising in premium and prestige vehicles, Vertu Motors represents some of the world's leading automotive brands, including: Audi, BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, MINI, smart, Toyota and Volkswagen.Bristol Street Motors originated over 100 years ago as a single Ford dealership located on Bristol Street in central Birmingham. It has since expanded to become a nationally recognised brand, which represents some of the world's most popular automotive manufacturers, including BYD, Citroen, CUPRA, Dacia, Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, MG, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, SEAT, SKODA, and Vauxhall.
In 2010, Vertu Motors expanded into Scotland, where it trades under the Macklin Motors brand. You'll find Macklin Motors dealerships representing Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Vauxhall, and Toyota.
The Vertu Motors Group is the 4th largest automotive retailer in the United Kingdom, and has been awarded numerous accolades, including Best Customer Experience at the 2019 Auto Trader Retailer Awards, Motability Website of the Year and Group Contact of the Year in 2019, Best Used Car Online Sales Experience at the 2021 Used Car Awards and Social Media of the Year and Dealer Website of the Year in the franchised category at the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2022.
"...To deliver an outstanding customer motoring experience through honesty and trust."
The History of Vertu Motors
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December 2006
The Group was admitted to AIM (Alternative Investment Market) following an oversubscribed equity raise of £25m (£23.6 million after expenses).
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27th February 2007
The Group announced that it had exchanged contracts to purchase the entire share capital of the Bristol Street Group Limited for an estimated consideration of £31m cash and £9m of shares, to be placaed with the vendor. In addition, debt estimated at £29m was to be assumed.
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27th March 2007
The Group completed the acquisition of Bristol Street and concluded a further equity placing of £26m (£22.6m after finance and acquisition expenses).
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27th May 2007
The Group completed the acquisition of Blake Holdings Limited for an estimated consideration of £4.9m. The Blake's operation included a Vauxhall dealership in Chesterfield, a Vauxhall service centre in Matlock and Peugeot dealerships located in Chesterfield and Worksop.
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29th June 2007
The Group acquired four Honda car dealerships and one Honda motorcycle dealership in the East Midlands, through the purchase of the entire share capital of Grantham Motors Company Limited for a cash consideration of £4.6m. The dealerships acquired were located in Grantham, Lincoln, Boston and Retford.
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29th June 2007
The Group acquired the trade and assets of a Ford dealership in Morpeth, Northumberland from the Jennings Group for cash consideration of £2.6m.
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2008 and 2009 respectively
The Group opened new greenfield site used car outlets in Doncaster and Darlington under the Bristol Street Motor Nation brand.
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June 2009
The Group completed a £30m placing, net of expenses, in order to fund a further dealership acquisition programme.
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June 2009
The Group purchased three dealership locations from the receivers of Brooklyn Motors plc at Redditch, Cheltenham and Worcester. This brought the Mazda franchise into the Group for the first time.
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2nd November 2009
The Lichfield Vauxhall dealership is added to the Vauxhall portfolio, strengthening the Bristol Street Motors brand in its heartland of the West Midlands.
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December 2009
The acquisition of Darlington SEAT bringing the SEAT franchise to the Group for the first time.
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January 2010
A huge step for the Group as the first Scottish location opened with the acquisition of the Dunfermline Autocentre Ford car dealership.
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April 2010
The acquisition of a second Scottish dealership, Paisley Peugeot, saw the Scottish dealerships re-branded as Macklin Motors;the Group's brand for future dealership acquisitions in Scotland. This month also saw the relocation of Gloucester Renault from a dual franchise to a freehold property, to allow for growth in scale.
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9th June 2010
Further Macklin Motor dealerships added to the Group, with the acquisition of Ford and Mazda dealerships in Glasgow and Hamilton.
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July 2010
A second SEAT dealership is added to the Bristol Street Motors portfolio with a dealership in Derby.
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10th September 2010
The Group purchased a Peugeot dealership in Dunfermline.
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September 2010
The Group strengthened regional concentration in the North West with the acquisition of two franchised dealerships: Altrincham Nissan and Macclesfield Ford from Lookers plc.
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7th February 2011
The Group franchised its non-franchised Motor Nation used car operation at Darlington with the Nissan franchise.
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22nd February 2011
The Group acquired the entire share capital of Patrick (Holdings) Limited. This company traded as Patricks of Durham, operating the Vauxhall franchise in Durham, Co Durham.
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April 2011
The acquisition of SEAT Barnsley brought the total number of SEAT dealerships to three.
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1st June 2011
Mazda Bristol was added to the growing portfolio.
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1st July 2011
The Group opened a Hyundai dealership in Peterlee. This represented the Group's fourth Hyundai dealership.
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4th July 2011
The Group opened a new Nissan dealership in Glasgow. This operation, situated adjacent to the Group's Glasgow Ford and Mazda operations, encompassed sales of electric vehicles, passenger and commercial vehicles in addition to a Nissan Sports Performance Centre selling the GTR and 370Z models. This was the Group's third Nissan dealership.
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August 2011
The Bristol Mazda dealership expanded and welcomed Chrysler Jeep to the Group.
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31st August 2011
The Group acquired the share capital of Widnes Car Centre (1994) Limited, which comprised of a Nissan dealership in Widnes, Cheshire, and a wheelchair accessible vehicle business based in Batley, West Yorkshire (rebranded Bristol Street Versa).
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9th January 2012
The Group acquired the trade and certain assets of a Vauxhall dealership in Northampton from W Grose Northampton Limited. This acquisition brings the number of Vauxhall dealerships operated by the Group to 11.
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28th June 2012
The Group acquired the trade and assets of two Ford dealerships in Durham and Hartlepool from Holiways Limited.
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29th June 2012
The Group acquired the trade and assets of a Suzuki dealership in Mansfield from Co-op Group Motors Limited and is the first Suzuki dealership in the Group's portfolio.
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1st August 2012
The Group expanded the Honda Division with the acquisition of the Doncaster Honda franchise contract from Pendragon. This represented the Group's seventh Honda dealership (including Honda Bikes).
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10th September 2012
The Group announced the acquisition of the trade and assets of three motor retail locations from Co-op Motors. The acquired sites added a further six franchised sales outlets to the Group's portfolio, with Nissan and Fiat in Derby, Nissan and Peugeot in Ilkeston and Nissan and Renault in Bradford.
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December 2012
The Group completed the acquisition of the Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham Springfield Honda business. This places the Group as the largest Honda dealer in the UK.
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8th January 2013
The Group acquired the entire share capital of Dobies (Carlisle) Limited which traded as a Vauxhall dealership in Carlisle, plus the business and certain assets of the SEAT outlet also operated by Dobies in Carlisle.
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14th January 2013
The Group announced the acquisition of the business and certain assets of the Vauxhall dealership in Keighley which had been operated by Walter C Brigg.
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March 2013
The Group opened its first Volvo dealership in Derby, branded Volvo Cars Derby.
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13th June 2013
The Group announced the acquisition of Farnell, which operates four outlets within the West Yorkshire region comprising three award winning Land Rover dealerships in Leeds, Bradford and Guiseley and one multi-franchise premium used vehicle outlet in Guiseley. The Farnell brand has represented Land Rover in West Yorkshire for 65 years.
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9th July 2013
The group announced the acquisition of two Volkswagen dealerships in Lincolnshire from Lookers plc.
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15th July 2013
The Group opened a new flagship SEAT dealership in Birmingham, located in a newly refurbished leasehold site.
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22nd November 2013
The Group announced the acquisition of two Hyundai dealerships in Edinburgh from Phoenix Car Company Limited and Archers of Edinburgh Limited.
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2nd December 2013
The Group acquired the entire share capital of Brookside (1998) Limited which operates three well established Volkswagen dealerships, two in Nottingham and one in Mansfield.
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3rd February 2014
The Group acquired the trade and certain assets of a dealership in Sheffield, which operates two sales outlets representing Nissan and Volvo
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6th May 2014
The Group announced that it had acquired the entire share capital of Hillendale Group Limited, which operates a Land Rover dealership in Burnley, Lancashire and a Jaguar dealership in Bolton, Lancashire. These dealerships trade as Farnell Land Rover Nelson and Farnell Jaguar Bolton.
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27th August 2014
The Group opened a new Fiat Brand Centre in a recently acquired leasehold property, representing Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep in Newcastle.
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18th September 2014
On 9 July 2014, the Group acquired a leasehold property in Silverlink, Newcastle which it opened on 18 September 2014 as the Group's first Infiniti dealership. This dealership is located 10 miles from the Nissan factory in Sunderland where the Infiniti Q30 model range is to be manufactured from next year. This dealership is the sole Infiniti sales outlet in the North East of England.
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5th November 2014
The Group announced that it has acquired the entire share capital of The Taxi Centre Limited and Easy Vehicle Finance Limited (together "the Taxi Centre") which source vehicles for private operators in the taxi sector. The business which operates across the United Kingdom is located in Paisley, Scotland.
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10th November 2014
The Group announced that it has acquired two Ford main dealerships in Bolton and Wigan, and two satellite operations in Walkden and Horwich, from Gordon's Ltd. This transaction increases the Group's representation with Ford to 22 outlets, consolidating its position as Ford's third largest partner in the UK.
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28th November 2014
The Group expanded its dealership network in West Yorkshire with the acquisition of Halifax Nissan from Lightcliffe Limited. This transaction increases the Group's representation with Nissan to 10 outlets consolidating the Group's position as one of Nissan's major UK partners.
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1st May 2015
The Group announced that it has acquired the business and assets of Bury Land Rover in Lancashire and has also exchanged contracts to acquire the business and assets of Bradford Jaguar in West Yorkshire. These acquisitions complement the Group's existing Land Rover and Jaguar dealerships in Nelson, Lancashire and across West Yorkshire, and further extend the Farnell brand.
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5th June 2015
On Friday 5th June, the group announced the acquisition of Darlington SKODA, our first SKODA dealership, situated adjacent to our successful Darlington Nissan operation. This will allow for both dealerships to grow their businesses and benefit from shared resources.
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1st October 2015
The Group announced that it has acquired the entire share capital of SHG Holdings Limited ("South Hereford") which operates well respected and established Audi, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercials outlets in Hereford. All three businesses benefit from high customer service ratings and have strong aftersales businesses
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1st December 2015
On 1st December 2015 the Group announced that it has acquired the entire share capital of Who's Ace Holdings Ltd (AceParts) which operates a well-established online vehicle parts business (www.aceparts.com) headquartered in Sittingbourne, Kent.
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25th January 2016
Vertu Motors has acquired three Lookers Honda dealerships for approximately £2 milion, including goodwill of £0.2m. The acquisition takes Vertu's Honda network to 12 sites with the addition of the new locations in Nottingham, Derby and Stockton-on-Tees.
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1st June 2016
Vertu Motors announces acquisition of Gordon Lamb Group Limited for £18.7m. Gordon Lamb operates Toyota, Land Rover, SKODA and Nissan outlets in Chesterfield, as well as a SKODA outlet in Derby, and has been trading for more than 60 years.
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2nd July 2018
Vertu Motors announces the acquisition of Hughes Group and its subsidiary Hughes of Beaconsfield for £21.8 million. Hughes has represented Mercedes-Benz for over 40 years, with outlets in Beaconsfield and Aylesbury - adjacent to Vertu Motors' existing Mercedes-Benz operations in Ascot, Reading and Slough. As well as the Mercedes-Benz dealerships, the acquisition includes SKODA in Aylesbury, Jeep in Beaconsfield and Peugeot in High Wycombe.
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7th January 2019
The Group announces the acquisition of online commercial vehicles retailer Vans Direct, for a total consideration of £7.5 million. The Vans Direct business has been the winner of the 'Best Van Leasing Broker' from the Leasing Broker Federation for the last three years (2016, 2017 and 2018).
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19th December 2022
Vertu Motors Plc Completes The Acquisition Of Helston Garages Group Limited
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8th December 2022
Vertu Motors plc Has Agreed To Acquire Helston Garages Group Limited
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28th November 2022
Vertu Motors plc celebrated a double success following the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2022, with wins in the Social Media of the Year and Dealer Website of the Year franchised categories.
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1st November 2022
£1 Million Investment Doubles Bristol Street Motors' Commitment In Harlow
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1st November 2022
Vertu Motors Acquires Historic Family-Run Motorcycle Business
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21st October 2022
Hamilton Motor Dealership Reopens After £1 Million Investment
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21st September 2022
£1 Million Investment At Slough Mercedes-Benz Dealership
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11th August 2022
The Taxi Centre Opens LEVC Taxi Business for Scotland and North East England
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20th July 2022
Jobs Created At New £5 Million Macklin Motors Edinburgh Dealership
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18th July 2022
Major Investment In Hamilton Car Retailer
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6th July 2022
Vansdirect Enters Trusted Supplier Agreement With Fleetmaxx Solutions
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10th May 2022
Bristol Street Motors Motornation Stockton Opens Following £500,000 Investment
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26th April 2022
Macklin Motors Invests In New Dunfermline Multi-Franchise Car Dealership
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1st April 2022
Macklin Motors has been awarded the Toyota franchise in the West of Scotland from 1 April 2022. The Group intends to develop four dealerships in the coming periods to cover this extensive territory, with the first dealership at Darnley, South Glasgow opening on 1 April.
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27th January 2022
£5million Macklin Motors Dealership Opens Its Doors In Edinburgh.
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26th January 2022
Bristol Street Motors Invests £250,000 To Bring Peugeot To Sunderland
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14th December 2021
Vertu Motors has expanded its East Midlands presence after completing a £9.2 million acquisition of two Toyota dealerships in Leicester and Loughborough from Farmer and Carlisle.
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8th November 2021
Bristol Street Motors Beaconsfield MG Opens Following A £100,000 Investment.
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21st October 2021
Bristol Street Motors has invested more than £300,000 in York as it opens a new Renault Dacia dealership at Clifton Moor Gate.
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12th August 2021
The Group acquired leading automotive lightbulb supplier, Powerbulbs, to operate alongside Ace Parts.
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5th August 2021
Vertu Motors grows the Bristol Street Motors offering, opening its first MG dealership in Carlisle.
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28th July 2021
Bristol Street Motors has acquired the Renault Dacia business in Leicester from Renault Retail Group UK Limited. The new dealership, the seventh Renault dealership in the Group, has been introduced at the Group's former Citroen dealership based on Raw Dykes Road.
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14th July 2021
Vertu Motors has invested £350,000 to offer a new destination for North East and North Yorkshire motorcycle enthusiasts. The site in Stockton will create six new jobs.
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19th March 2021
Vertu Motors plc acquired the Honda car dealership based on Leeds Road, Huddersfield from Hepworth Motor Group to grow its Yorkshire presence to 23 sites.
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18th March 2021
Macklin Motors welcomes a Motornation dealership to its Glasgow portfolio following a £1.5million investment in the new site.
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16th January 2020
Vertu Motors expands Yorkshire presence, with the acquisition of four Volkswagen dealerships from a trading subsidiary of Sytner Group Limited. The dealerships, located in Leeds, Huddersfield, Harrogate and Skipton, further builds the Group's Vertu Volkswagen brand, which now includes nine outlets.
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21st January 2020
Vertu Motors is pleased to announce the acquisition of the trade and assets of three franchises on a multi-franchise dealership in Edinburgh, from the administrators of Leven Cars Group Limited. The purchase of this Kia, Suzuki and Mitsubishi leasehold dealership represents further expansion of the Group's Macklin Motors brand in Scotland, complimenting 9 existing outlets comprising the Nissan, Ford, Mazda, Peugeot and Hyundai brands.
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5th October 2020
Vertu Motors plc added to its portfolio in Nottingham with the acquisition of the Kia Nottingham dealership from Sandicliffe. The transaction brought the number of outlets operated by the Group in Nottingham to nine.
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7th December 2020
Vertu Motors is delighted to announce the addition of the BMW, MINI and Motorrad franchises to the Group's portfolio after acquiring 12 dealerships from Inchcape. Vertu Motors now represents more manufacturers than any other automotive retail group in the UK and is the biggest in the North East.
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19th December 2023
Ducati is to enhance its dealer network through a strategic partnership with Vertu Motorcycles, part of the wider Vertu Motors group, marking the motor retailer's inaugural dealership for the renowned Italian motorcycle brand.
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5th December 2023
Bristol Street Motors has opened a new Nissan dealership in Stockton, expanding its Nissan representation in Tees Valley and bringing a wealth of automotive expertise and jobs to the community.
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1st December 2023
Bristol Street Motors has made a significant investment in a new Ford dealership in Newcastle, creating around 50 new jobs.
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27th November 2023
A year on since becoming Scotland's leading retailer of London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) vehicles, The Taxi Centre is set to expand with a new aftersales service and a new Edinburgh-based sales representative.
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1st November 2023
Vertu Motors plc has strengthened its presence in the South West with the acquisition of Rowes Garage Limited.
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24th October 2023
Bristol Street Motors has completed the acquisition of a dealership at Westerhope Interchange on Stamfordham Road.
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27th September 2023
Bristol Street Motors is investing over £1 million in a brand-new MG dealership in Chesterfield.
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24th August 2023
Vertu Motors plc has appointed experienced automotive professional Spencer Clayton-Jones as Strategy Director.
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14th April 2023
Bristol Street Motors has invested over £375,000 in a new PartsPlus site in Croydon. It will provide services to support the sale of trade parts directly to franchise groups, independent repairers and body shops.
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29th October 2024
Vertu Motors plc, one of the UK's top automotive retailers, has announced the acquisition of Burrows Motor Company Limited, adding nine dealerships across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
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17th September 2024
Ducati is continuing to expand its network with a new dealership opening at Boldon Business Park, Sunderland alongside Vertu Motorcycles.
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11th September 2024
Macklin Motors, the trading name for Vertu Motors plc in Scotland, has opened a new, state-of-the-art Toyota centre on Heathfield Road, Ayr.
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6th August 2024
Bristol Street Motors has opened its first BYD dealership at Cosgrove Close, Blackpole, Worcester, co-located with Bristol Street Motors Worcester Ford.
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24th July 2024
Vertu Motors plc has continued its South-West expansion, adding Honda Exeter to its portfolio in a purchase concluded this week from Hendy Group Limited.
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22nd March 2024
Bristol Street Motors celebrated 100 years since it revved into existence in Birmingham with a commemorative event. Read on to learn more.
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17th January 2024
EnergyForce, the UK renewable energy systems specialist, is delivering a major £3.2m multi-site solar PV project for Vertu Motors plc.
Board of Directors
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Robert Forrester
Chief Executive Officer
Robert Forrester
Chief Executive Officer
Robert was a Director of Reg Vardy plc between 2001 and 2006 where he held the roles of Finance Director and Managing Director. Robert qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen. He was also a member of the Economic Growth Board of the Confederation of British Industry. Robert founded the Company in 2006.
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Karen Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Karen Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Karen was the Finance Director of the Group from 2006 to 2010 through its initial flotation and growth period, and stepped back into the Chief Financial Officer role from her role as Deputy CFO and Company Secretary. From 2001 to 2006 she was employed by Reg Vardy PLC, where she ultimately held the position of Group Financial Controller. Karen qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen. She was also a Trustee Director of the Group's defined benefit pension scheme, the Bristol Street Pension Scheme from 2007 to 2019. Karen has a wealth of motor industry finance experience together with detailed knowledge of the operations of the Group, having helped to found the Company in 2006.
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David Crane
Chief Operations Officer
David Crane
Chief Operations Officer
David was appointed as Commercial Director of the Group in February 2007 having been previously at Reg Vardy PLC since 1999. He was Commercial Director of Reg Vardy PLC between 2004 and 2006, until the sale of Reg Vardy PLC to Pendragon PLC in February 2006, at which point he was appointed Group Services Director of Pendragon PLC. Prior to his employment with Reg Vardy PLC he was Aftersales Operations Manager at Renault UK between 1991 and 1999. He was appointed to the position of COO in March 2016.
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Pauline Best
Non-Executive Director, Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
Pauline Best
Non-Executive Director, Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
Pauline is an experienced Human Resources professional who is Chief People Officer of Specsavers and whose previous roles include Global Leadership and People Capability Director for Vodafone and Human Resources Director of Talkland. Pauline's human resources and people experience is invaluable as Chair of the Remuneration Committee and she also brings that perspective to the Board. Pauline is also the designated non-executive director for workforce engagement.
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Andrew Goss
Non-Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Nominations Committee
Andrew Goss
Non-Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Nominations Committee
Andrew brings to the Group over 40 years of experience in the automotive sector, having held senior roles in Citroen UK, Nissan Europe, Lexus (GB), Toyota (GB), Porsche and most recently Jaguar Land Rover. Between 2010 and 2013 Andrew headed Jaguar Land Rover's business in North America as its President and CEO, and between 2013 and 2018 he sat on the Jaguar Land Rover Board as Global Sales Operations Director. During this period, he also represented Jaguar Land Rover in its joint venture interests in China and in its Spark 44 advertising agency.
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John Mewett
Non-Executive Director
John Mewett
Non-Executive Director
John is the Chief Executive Officer of Screwfix, part of the Kingfisher plc group. He is a member of the Executive team at Kingfisher plc, responsible for the development of the Screwfix business across the UK, Ireland and France. With over 25 years retail experience he has held previous roles as Screwfix's Marketing Director and Digital Director, and as Group Digital Director of its parent Kingfisher plc.
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David Gillard
Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee
David Gillard
Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee
David is currently a Non-Executive Director and the Chair of Audit Committee at Bradford and Sons Limited, a builders� merchant, and was previously the Group Finance Director and Deputy to the Managing Partner at DAC Beachcroft LLP, the international law firm. Earlier, David held a variety of senior finance positions in a number of organisations, operating across several sectors, in the U.K. and overseas.
Operations Board
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Chris Taylor
Operations Director Honda, Kia and Toyota Division
Chris Taylor
Operations Director Honda, Kia and Toyota Division
Chris joined the motor industry as a Sales Executive in January 1996 after graduating from Nottingham Trent University having studied Hotel Catering and Institutional Management. Quickly progressing through the ranks of Sales Manager and becoming Group Sales Manager of four Honda dealerships across Lincolnshire by 2000. In June 2003 Chris was part of a Management buyout of Grantham Motor Company Limited acquiring the four Honda car dealerships and one motorcycle outlet. After a successful four years the business was then acquired by Vertu Motors PLC in June 2007. Chris has since then headed up the Honda Division for the company growing the business to a total of fourteen Honda dealerships across the UK. Outside of work Chris's main passions are basketball and travel.
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Colin Kent
Operations Director - Citroen & Vauxhall Division
Colin Kent
Operations Director - Citroen & Vauxhall Division
Colin is the Director responsible for Vauxhall and Citroen operations at Vertu Motors PLC and has been with the company since its establishment in 2006. Colin started his career in banking, before changing industry and joining Reg Vardy PLC where he spent 16 years working his way up from General Manager to Franchise Director and finally Yorkshire Divisional Director covering several franchises.
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Tom Garratt
Operations Director - Ford Division
Tom Garratt
Operations Director - Ford Division
Tom is the director responsible for the Ford Operation at Vertu Motors plc and has been with the company since December 2014. Tom started as a salesperson in 2006 and worked through to business manager, sales manager, general manager, divisional director and finally group operations director.
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Mike Rich
Operations Director - VAG
Mike Rich
Operations Director - Premium
Mike was appointed Divisional Operations Director at Vertu Motors PLC in 2010 with a mandate to expand the company's portfolio. He started his career in the motor industry as a salesman for Reg Vardy PLC, working his way up to Manager, then General Manager before becoming a Operations Director with the company prior to its sale to Pendragon PLC. Following the purchase of Reg Vardy, Mike was appointed as the Managing Director of Evans Halshaw, a post he left in 2010 to join Vertu Motors.
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Leon Caruso
Operations Director - Multi-Franchise and JLR Division
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Steve Gould
Operations Director - Renault and Nissan Division
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Mark Gibbings
Operations Director - Mercedes-Benz Division
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Anthony Masterson
Operations Director - BMW/MINI
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Nicola Loose
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Nicola Loose
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Nicola was previously a partner in the corporate team at Muckle LLP and joined Vertu Motors PLC in February 2015. She had acted for Vertu Motors since its incorporation in 2006 and advised on many of its acquisitions including the original fundraising and acquisition of Bristol Street Motors. She was the North East Corporate Lawyer of the Year in 2010 and 2013.
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Liz Cope
Chief Marketing Officer
Liz Cope
Chief Marketing Officer
As Chief Marketing Officer, Liz Cope oversees all the Group's marketing functions including PR, digital and off-line advertising, brand development and CRM including the operation of contact centres and web live chat. Liz has previously held a number of significant marketing roles for household names including Dyson and VAX and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in marketing, particularly of customer centric brand and digital marketing.
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Bruce Clark
Chief Technology Officer
Bruce Clark
Chief Technology Officer
Bruce joined the Group in 2013 and was previously IT Director before being promoted to the newly created CTO role. Bruce now has a place on the Group's CEO Committee and this role creation marks a further step change in the Group's focus on technology strategy and the management bandwidth to deliver the Group's strategic technology plans. As CTO Bruce will be responsible for Digitalisation developments including leading the 50 strong inhouse software and robotics development team, Data and cyber security including continued augmentation of the Group's specialist unit in this area, IT operations providing IT hardware and connectivity to the Group's sales and aftersales outlets and Data analytics.
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Matthew Barr
HR Director
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Steve Rowe
Group Sales Director
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Spencer Clayton-Jones
Group Strategy Director
Spencer Clayton-Jones
Group Strategy Director
Spencer has worked in the automotive industry since 1998 when he started his career as a Business Development Manager for Nissan, after graduating University of Greenwich with a degree in Estate Management. He moved to Volkswagen in 2000 where he spent 15 years in a number of roles including National Network Development Manager, Head of Customer Quality and Network Development before leaving Volkswagen as Head of Group Business Management in 2015. Spencer then rejoined Nissan as Head of Network Development in 2017, moving to Director of Network Development & Customer Quality within a year. He joined Vertu Motors plc in August 2023 as Group Strategy Director and sits on the Group's CEO Committee.