Scottish car dealer group Arnold Clark has completed the acquisition of Wallsend-based Wingrove Motor Company.
Wingrove was one of the largest family-owned car dealers in the North East. The buy-out came as the family behind Wingrove decided to ‘step away’ from the motor retailing.
Arnold Clark said it is now ‘ready to welcome customers’ to its Arnold Clark Wallsend Silverlink Citroen/Peugeot/Jeep dealership, while an accident repair centre in Cramlington, Newcastle, is now also open.
Gavin McKenzie, brand director at Arnold Clark, said: ‘We’re delighted to open two locations in the North East, making it even easier for customers in the area to access the Arnold Clark network.
‘We’d like to thank everyone at Wingrove for their decades of hard work and can assure customers that they can expect great value for money and excellent service at the new Arnold Clark branches, as well as a fantastic selection of new and used cars.
‘We look forward to welcoming everyone to our new locations.’
Josh Parker, managing director at Wingrove Motor Company, added: ‘I would like to personally thank all our loyal customers and dedicated staff that have supported us over the 99 years Wingrove has been in operation.
‘While the family have taken the decision to step away from the motor trade, we will be forever grateful for the people that have journeyed with us over the years.
‘We wish all the staff and customers a smooth transition to Arnold Clark and we’re sure that you’ll continue to find outstanding deals and friendly customer service.’
Wingrove has been operating for nearly 100 years and is one of Citroen’s oldest dealer partners.
Its most recent accounts on Companies House show the business turned over £36.9m in 2022 and made a pre-tax profit of £96,856.
That year also saw the passing of director and chairman Peter Dalkin, who had led the company for over 50 years.
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