Lookers has opened its £6 million new and used vehicle multi-franchise hub in Middlesbrough. As well as multi-franchise vehicle sales, the centre will focus on all-electric driving including specialist servicing, maintenance and body repair. The site also houses Ford and BYD dealerships. Lookers’ investment in the site will contribute towards Middlesbrough Council’s ambition of becoming […]

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Hyundai will reduce its retail partners by almost a third but increase the number of franchise points to 173 over the next four years. Speaking exclusively to Auto Retail Agenda, the brand’s business transformation director, Nick Tunnell, said the manufacturer planned to reduce the number of retail groups it deals with from 75 to 54 […]

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Oliver Reppert has officially taken over as CEO and MD of Mercedes-Benz UK from Gary Savage. His career began as aftersales product manager at DaimlerChrysler in 1998, and he spent four years in the 2000s directing retailer development. He served as the CEO of CarToGo from 2016 and became the CEO of car sharing service […]

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BMW has reaffirmed its planned move to the agency sales model for its network, saying it is part of its strategic plan. Speaking to Auto Retail Agenda ahead of an investor conference in the Netherlands, BMW UK CEO David George, who took over at the end of last year, confirmed the manufacturer was sticking with […]

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Cazoo to Exit Car Retailing, De-List and Become a Marketplace Cazoo will cease to be a used car retailer, de-list from the New York Stock Exchange and attempt to become a rival to Auto Trader, Carwow and Motors. In a stock market statement yesterday, Cazoo said: “The Cazoo board has reviewed the strategic options for […]

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JLR will review its recent decision to stick with the franchised model and look again at agency in late 2027, according to UK managing director Patrick McGillycuddy. Speaking exclusively to sister title Auto Retail Bulletin, McGillycuddy said: “When you look at the amount of change that we are already planning to implement, the amount of change we’d […]

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