8:12 am, April 23, 2025
BCA has claimed it is owed more than £1.6m from a failed used car dealership which closed down two years ago amid piling debts.
Car Dealer reported back in February 2023 that used car dealer Autovogue had closed its doors, blaming ‘failing used Jaguar Land Rover vehicles’.
A subsequent statement of affairs revealed that the firm ceased trading owing a staggering £1.09m to a variety of motor trade businesses.
That figure included a debt of £685,383 to BCA Partner Finance, which appears to still be unpaid according to a liquidators’ statement of receipts and payments, filed with Companies House last week.
However, the documents also reveal a claim from BCA totalling a £1.66m.
The figure appears in a list of unsecured creditors, which also claim of £192,641.90 from ‘trade and expense creditors’ – despite the initial statement of affairs listing the amount owed as £173,935.46.
Other unsecured creditors include employees, owed £47,605; banks/institutions, owed £40,000 and HMRC, owed £46,500 – although none have yet made claims against the failed company.
The only ‘preferential creditor’ listed in the papers are ’employee arrears/holiday pay’ totalling £7,842. Meanwhile, Natwest are named as a ‘secured creditor’, owed £136,338.91.
In a statement included in the documents, liquidators Andrew Watling and Kelly Mitchell said the exact level of debt at Autovogue remains ‘disputed’.
They said: ‘Due to the debt being disputed, the realisable value in respect of the company’s book debts was uncertain.’
Car Dealer initially reported on the closure of the car dealer after being approached by customers who could not contact the firm before a resolution to wind up was granted on March 21, 2023.
The firm controversially blamed used Jaguar Land Rover models for its failing.
At the time of its closing, Autovogue wrote: ‘Unfortunately in recent years and with the development of the global economy after Covid-19, further compounded by Ukraine and high UK inflation the automotive sector has been hit hard with significant pressures.
‘Autovogue UK have suffered huge additional costs and continuing issues with failing used Jaguar Land Rover vehicles which were directly due to the poor manufacture of these vehicles by the Jaguar Land Rover group and not Autovogue UK limited associated works.
‘Many failing after under 10,000 miles and the direct repair cost damaging the balance sheet for Autovogue UK Limited in 2022 of some £198,000.’
The used car dealer added: ‘After some nine months of intense investment rounds to support the growth of the business and new models to move away from Jaguar Land Rover vehicles to more stable manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes & Porsche talks broke down directly due to the distressed economy/retail market and the investors ultimately decided to not proceed with the backing required, leaving no choice but to close the company.’
The statement on the used car dealer’s website was rapidly removed after Car Dealer reported the claims.
