8:51 am, October 20, 2022
Group 1 Automotive has axed its Barons and Chandlers dealership names.
The American car dealer group says the move will provide ‘transparency’ for its customers.
The Barons and Chandlers names appear on numerous BMW and Mini showrooms across the home counties and the south coast.
Dealerships have already removed Barons and Chandlers branding and now wear the Group 1 name.
Websites have also been rebranded and now appear as ‘Group 1 BMW’ and ‘Group 1 Mini’.
The name change was effective from October 3.
In a statement, Group 1 said: ‘We are delighted to announce that from Monday 3rd October our Barons & Chandlers BMW Centres will become Group 1 BMW.
‘Our Barons & Chandlers BMW Centres are part of the Group 1 Automotive network, and we believe that our new name aligns us to the successful & well-established group that we represent, whilst providing our customers with the transparency that is at the heart of our values.
‘The rebrand comes at an exciting time as Group 1 Automotive, a Fortune 300 company, grows & strengthens within the UK.
‘Group 1 Automotive is now the seventh largest dealer group in the UK, operating here since 2007.
‘The group has since acquired over 75 franchised sites across 55 locations, all with the core company values at the heart of our businesses – Integrity, Transparency, Professionalism, Teamwork and Respect.’
Group 1 acquired Barons in 2010.
Latest accounts for Group 1 Automotive show that the dealer giant made a record profit for Q2 2022.
Global revenues in the first three months to June 31 totalled £3.4bn ($4.1bn).
In the first six months of the year, Group 1’s UK gross profit came to £161.4m ($195.9m), a rise of 26.9 per cent.
Pictured: Barons BMW and Mini dealership at Hindhead, Hampshire. It opened in 2021
