MT Interview

The venue is the refurbished and decidedly upmarket Land Rover store on fashionable Berkeley Street in Mayfair, London. Cool, minimalist, sophisticated lighting, chilled sparkling water and, in a room downstairs, on a call the day before Pendragon’s AGM, CEO Bill Berman. It’s been a turbulent few years. Dealer veteran Berman joined Pendragon in April 2019 as a non-executive director. He ...

LSH Auto has opened a new BYD showroom in Stockport after earlier this year being named as one of the first in the UK to partner with the Chinese EV brand. Launching with the Atto 3 model, the brand is set to add the Dolphin to its UK line-up later this summer. Vaughan Blackman, former LSH Australia general manager, was ...

In March 2023 TrustFord announced changes to its senior leadership team, including the appointment of a new CEO. Stuart Mustoe, who previously held the position of finance director and had been acting chair and CEO since the retirement of the late Stuart Foulds in February 2022, took up the role. Mustoe is a long-standing figure at TrustFord having joined what ...

Inchcape Retail is growing its used car sales and planning a radical overhaul of its systems with a switch to the Tekion dealer management system (DMS) created by ex-Tesla IT boss Jay Vijayan Online evangelists who have forecast the demise of physical dealerships in an increasingly digital world have clearly never visited places like the Oxford Motor Park in Kidlington. ...

With an eye on sustainability and cost management, Bowker is installing solar panels at its Lancashire dealerships. Bowker BMW managing director Chris Eccles talks Motor Trader through the project. The Bowker BMW and MINI sites in Blackburn and Preston are taking steps to boost the sustainability of the dealerships in Lancashire by installing 1,600 new solar panels. The move will ...

It has been quite a journey for Lookers and its CEO Mark Raban who joined the group in 2019 as finance director just as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) began an investigation into the dealer group’s sales processes. Lookers promoted Raban to CEO in early 2020. He has nearly 30 years of multi-channel retailing experience and is steeped in finance. ...

Volkswagen Group UK now sells almost a quarter of all cars sold in the UK through the Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Cupra networks. Motor Trader talks to managing director Alex Smith on dealer strategy, the agency model, investment in EVs and plans for the future Alex Smith has to deal with a lot of big figures. As managing director ...

As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated arena, did you ever feel patronised? If so, how do you handle it? When reflecting on a career that started realistically back in 1987, I do realise now just how patronising some people (usually men) were. At the time I fought a hard battle, went to work every day, did my job and ...

Following a strong year in 2021, Chorley Group has been racking up the acquisitions, with the latest coming in the form of Vantage Citroen in Blackpool. Back in March it also acquired two Citroen dealerships from the BCC Cars group for an undisclosed sum. Both moves form a part of the group’s strategic growth plans across the North West. Capitalising ...

A lot is said about the shortage of new cars in the supply chain. Looking around at the Steven Eagell Toyota dealership in Merton Drive, Milton Keynes, you would never know. It’s packed to the gunnels, a constant juggling act is going on to manage the flow of cars on the forecourt. Steven Eagell, CEO of the eponymous group is ...