7:43 am, February 6, 2025
Lithia has announced a major wave of cuts to its UK dealer network with half a dozen Evans Halshaw sites earmarked for closure.
The American giant completed its purchase of Pendragon – including Evans Halshaw – last February and has been slowly downsizing ever since.
Now however, the group has confirmed one of its biggest rounds of cuts yet, with six sites set to close down for good.
Car Dealer has learned that the showrooms which will close in the coming months will be the firm’s Renault and Dacia site in Doncaster and its Vauxhall sites in Portsmouth and Wolverhampton.
Meanwhile, the outfit is also closing its ‘direct pod’ locations in St Albans, Hanworth and Orpington.
There were also claims that the group’s Renault and Dacia site in Sheffield would cease trading but a spokesman for Evans Halshaw said that it will remain open as a used car centre.
Car Dealer was sent the full list of closures by a source inside the dealer group, and bosses confirmed the news when approached.
It is not known how many, if any jobs, will be lost as a result of the restructuring.
A spokesperson for Evans Halshaw told Car Dealer: ‘The closure of these stores aligns with our wider strategic network plans, in conjunction with our OEMs and network partners.’
The move comes after Car Dealer reported last April that Lithia had cut around 250 jobs by killing off the CarShop used car supermarket brand.
That was followed by the closure of an Evans Halshaw Ford site Northwich and a Stratstone Mercedes dealership in Bradford.
Edinburgh deal goes through as firms deny last minute rumours
Evans Halshaw has also confirmed that the sale of its Edinburgh Vauxhall dealership to Arnold Clark has now gone through as planned.
Car Dealer broke the news of the sale last month but a source close to the deal recently suggested that there could be a last minute hitch.
One insider claimed that all staff were sent home early on Friday, amid talk that Arnold Clark were looking to ‘back out’ of the takeover.
Rumours ramped up further when Car Dealer was told that the Car Dealer Top 100 leader had staff on site at 8.30am on Friday to remove all equipment, uniforms and signage belonging to Arnold Clark.
Google is also currently listing the site as ‘permanently closed, only adding to the confusion, but both dealer groups now say the deal has gone through and the showroom will begin trading as an Arnold Clark site later this week.
A spokesman for Arnold Clark said: ‘Arnold Clark can confirm the takeover of the Evans Halshaw Vauxhall dealership in Edinburgh and will begin trading this week.’
Evans Halshaw insiders added that the sale was officially completed on Tuesday (Feb 4).
