11:53 am, February 28, 2025
Johnsons Cars Toyota and Lexus franchises have been removed from the dealer group’s website, creating speculation about the ownership of the sites.
The group had three Toyota sites in the north west, in Liverpool, Southport and Wirral, and one Lexus in Bootle, Liverpool, which appear on the manufacturers’ websites and Google but not their own.
This has caused rumours of a potential acquisition by Group 1 Automotive, who already drastically increased its number of Toyota dealerships when it purchased Inchcape’s UK retailers last year.
UK dealerships have become hot property for international groups, and Group 1 Automotive also purchased Soper BMW in 2024.
It is predicted if the rumours are true an announcement will be made soon.
Car Dealer has approached the dealer groups and the manufacturers, but none have commented.
Customers were told by dealership staff that an official change is anticipated to take place on March 1.
Johnsons Cars has been in business since 1999 and its Toyota dealerships in Liverpool and Wirral were some of the first it opened.
Last year, its results revealed it had battled ‘challenging headwinds, including agency sales and a push towards EVs’ with profits falling after its record-breaking 2022 results.
Picture credit: Google Maps/Johnsons Cars Southport
