A new Ford dealership is on course to open in Dundee this summer. The family-owned Your Ford Centre says the building on the 10-acre site in Baird Avenue should be up and running on July 1 to complement its other dealerships in Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Dalkeith and Peebles. It’ll offer the full new Ford car range, including the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, as well as more than 100 used cars and commercial vehicles. The site, which will create 25 jobs and is said to have cost £4.5m, replaces an ex-Tesco depot and will also boast a six-bay workshop plus MOT centre. The Courier quoted Your Ford Centre ..read more

A ‘grinning’ thief who taunted a used car dealer as he stole a VW Golf has been handed a lengthy prison sentence Martin McDonagh – also known as Thomas – pretended to be a customer in order to get behind the wheel of the hatchback, which was for sale at a second-hand car showroom in Binley Woods, Warwickshire. While sat in the driver’s seat the 46-year-old crook asked if he could start the engine, to which the salesman agreed. However, he then made off with the car – grinning at the dumbstruck salesman as he fled the scene. The incident took place on July 30, 2022 with McDonagh taking the sto ..read more

A used car dealer is set to lose his job after he was banned from the roads for drug driving. Fraser Finlay was pulled over by officers while driving a cream BMW through the village of Kilgetty in Pembrokshire, last October. Police brought the 25-year-old to a halt after the trade insurance on the vehicle he was driving failed to show up on their system. The second-hand car salesman then failed a breathalyzer test at the roadside and was taken into custody for further tests, the Pembrokeshire Herald reports. Blood samples later showed he had 20ug/L of cocaine in his system – well above the le ..read more

Two men were held on suspicion of money laundering after police raided a used car dealership in Greater Manchester. The arrests were made at Stellar Motor Company in Farnworth as part of a probe into the supply of Class A drugs. Two tactical aid units swooped on Tuesday morning as police neighbourhood teams pounced on two properties elsewhere in Farnworth and in Great Lever as part of the same operation, reported The Bolton News. The newspaper quoted Insp Keiron Maddocks as saying: ‘Today my team along with other teams in Bolton are working together on a number of warrants in Bolton looking f ..read more

A good exchange rate, competitive pricing and operational strength are just some of the things attracting US investors to UK dealer groups. That is according to industry experts, who say that cash-rich North American groups are set to continue ploughing money into Britain’s most successful car dealers. Car Dealer reported earlier this week that Inchcape is to sell its UK retail operations to US giant Group 1 Automotive for a staggering £346m. The move followed reports that fellow American outfit AutoNation was also interested in buying the dealerships. It is expected that the sale will be com ..read more

SNP urged to co-operate with police after Peter Murrell embezzlement charge The SNP has been urged to co-operate with the police investigation into the party’s finances after its former chief executive Peter Murrell was charged in connection with embezzlement of funds. The 59-year-old husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was taken into custody for questioning on Thursday morning, more than a year after his first arrest. Police confirmed on Thursday evening he has been charged as part of the probe. He has resigned his SNP membership. Sunak to warn against ‘over-medicalising everyday ..read more

Sales of battery-electric vehicles are set to top 400,000 this year. That’s according to a new report from Cap HPI following a study by its consulting team designed to give decision-makers an all-round view of the electric vehicle market. The latest analysis from the POWER UPdate has identified what it calls ‘a significant shift in size segment in January 2024’. The team say there has been ‘a considerable decline in upper-medium vehicles, from 45% to 30% of all UK BEV sales, and an increase in smaller cars, from 20% to 30%’. Comparing BEV and full-market registrations by segment, the January ..read more

The co-owner of a derelict and arson-hit former car showroom site condemned as dangerous was previously fined after someone died at another of his disused locations, it has been revealed. The ex-dealership site in Lewes Road, Brighton, is jointly owned by John Blankson, and according to Brighton and Hove News, the 69-year-old, his firm and a co-director were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2010 for the tragic accident at a building site of theirs just over a mile away. Blankson, his company PIB (UK) and co-director Steven Moore were fined £15,000 after 24-year-old Edwar ..read more

A car dealer is threatening to take legal action after plans were approved which will ‘block access’ to his business. James Brayley, owner of AB Autos in Bristol, is furious at proposals for five new flats adjacent to his showroom being handed the green light. The plans, which have been given the go-ahead by South Gloucestershire Council, do not include parking spaces for residents. Instead, they will be incentivised to buy bicycles and a bike rack will be installed at an existing carpark next to the site. Developers also want to construct a large three storey extension on the car park. Howev ..read more

Earlier this year, we launched Motorway Move – a hassle-free, enhanced transportation offering for Motorway purchases, driven by accurate appraisals, speed and competitive pricing. It has been designed to significantly improve the post-sale experience for dealers, making the process easier, faster and more consistent. Motorway Move is powered by two new proprietary technologies built by our in-house team: Motorway Collect – a vehicle appraisal app that enables more accurate and thorough vehicle appraisals at vehicle collection Motorway Dispatch – an app that optimises driver planning and rout ..read more