4:25 pm, March 6, 2026
BCA has been cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority to complete its deal to buy Aston Barclay.
The CMA said that following an ‘in-depth phase 2 investigation’ led by an independent inquiry group, the deal had been given the full go ahead.
Constellation-owned BCA’s takeover of the business was given the provisional green light in January. That decision has now been made final and marks the end of the CMA’s involvement in the deal.
In a statement, the CMA said: ‘When investigating a merger, the CMA compares its effects with what would likely happen if the merger did not go ahead.
‘In this case, having conducted a thorough investigation, the inquiry group found that if the deal had not gone ahead, the most likely outcome would have been that Aston Barclay would close and some of its assets would be sold to buyer(s) that would not be able to compete closely with BCA for large national vendors.
‘This means that, with or without the merger, the competitive pressure exerted on BCA by Aston Barclay would be lost.
‘The inquiry group has therefore decided that the deal should be allowed to proceed.’
The CMA had previously said that Aston Barclay had been facing financial difficulties and would have likely shut down if a buyer had not been found.
In a previous report, the CMA said that without the deal ‘Aston Barclay would likely have exited the market’ due to financial challenges.
Cyrus Mehta, chair of the independent inquiry group, said: ‘Having reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the likely impact on Aston Barclay’s business if the deal did not go ahead, we have found that this deal does not substantially reduce competition.’
The deal to buy Aston Barclay was announced in April 2025 and the investigation by the CMA has taken nearly a year to conclude.
Sources believe that BCA plans to continue running the Aston Barclay site as physical centres.
In an internal memo to staff, seen by Car Dealer, Constellation said: ‘We are delighted to announce that the acquisition of Aston Barclay by Constellation Automotive Group has been cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority.
‘After a very challenging period for the Aston Barclay team and their customer base, we look forward to supporting with the necessary operational skills and investment, along with incremental volume from the Group’s growing WebuyAnyCar business.
‘Over the next few months, we look forward to working with new colleagues and customers as we evaluate systems and operational processes, with our objective being to optimise performance and deliver exceptional customer service, whilst always maintaining quality standards.
‘Our commitment as we embark on this process, is to listen closely to any concerns and work hard to find solutions.’
BCA is owned by Constellation which clocked up losses of £112.9m before tax in 2025.
