9:49 am, September 2, 2026
Drive Motor Retail will is set to officially open its redeveloped Darlington Motor Village site, following a £3m refurbishment.
The Car Dealer Top 100 firm has thrown significant investment at the site, which will throw its doors open to customers once more, this weekend.
The state-of-the-art facility will bring seven brands together under one roof with bosses hailing the start of an ‘exciting new chapter’.
Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat, Abarth, Vauxhall, Leapmotor and MG will all be represented at the site, which will also provide Fiat Professional aftersales services.
The work marks the first full refurbishment of the Darlington site in more than 20 years, creating more than ten new jobs in the process.
The business is continuing to recruit skilled technicians and insiders are now looking forward to this weekend’s special opening event.
Jeff Parkin, general manager at Drive Motor Retail Darlington, said: ‘It is fantastic to be able to officially open the doors to the new Darlington Motor Village and welcome customers to see the transformation for themselves.
‘It has been a huge project for the team, and we’re really pleased with how everything has come together.
‘The opening weekend is a great opportunity to celebrate the new site and everything it now has to offer.
‘We’re looking forward to a busy couple of days and to marking this exciting new chapter for Drive Darlington.’
The launch weekend will also feature a selection of Abarth and Fiat cars brought along by the North East Abarth Owners Club.
A new car event will celebrate the arrival of the 76-plate, while food and refreshments will also be available.
Drive Darlington will also use the event to support Parkinson’s UK, with further details about the fundraising activity due to be announced over the coming days.
The dealership will be open from 8.30am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
Double good news for Drive
The news of the reopening is not the only cause of celebration for Drive, which is also toasting the fact that one of its apprentices has been named among the automotive industry’s Rising Stars.
Tayla Bennison, an apprentice spray painter at the group’s Fix Auto Redcar bodyshop, has been recognised in Bodyshop Magazine’s 30 Under 30: Rising Stars Awards.
The annual awards highlight young professionals making an impact across the automotive and vehicle repair sectors.
Bennison [pictured below] is currently completing her apprenticeship as a spray painter, specialising in vehicle refinishing and helping restore cars following collision damage.
Jason Bond, bodyshop director at Drive Motor Retail, said: ‘Tayla’s recognition is a significant achievement and reflects the commitment, enthusiasm and developing technical expertise she has demonstrated during the early stages of her career.
‘Working as an apprentice spray painter, Tayla is building valuable hands-on experience in the refinishing side of the collision repair industry. Her recognition by Bodyshop Magazine highlights the important contribution that the next generation of skilled technicians is already making to the sector.
‘The award is also a proud moment for the team at Fix Auto Redcar, who have supported Tayla throughout her apprenticeship and continue to help her develop her skills and confidence within the body repair industry.’