8:28 am, September 27, 2013
THE Mitsubishi network in the UK has expanded with the arrival of a new dealership in the West Midlands.
Family-run Autosales Ltd will take on the franchise at their site in Vulcan Road, Bilston, from October 1.
The dealership is run by siblings Steve Kibble and Debbie Varnish and has built up a loyal following over more than 50 years. Autosales Ltd was set up by their parents, Barry and Anne in 1958 and Anne, now 75, still works a few hours a week at the busy dealership.
In fact, both Steve and Debbie were born at the dealership, as their parents used to live on the site.
Autosales Ltd becomes the tenth new Mitsubishi dealership to open in the UK in the last 12 months and joins the company at a time when Mitsubishi is the fastest growing brand in the UK.
With Mitsubishi selling around 40 per cent more cars so far this year than this time last year Autosales Ltd decided the time was right to end their 53-year relationship with Skoda and join Mitsubishi.
Dealer principal Steve Kibble said: ‘We have been selling cars very successfully for 55 years and we are delighted to join Mitsubishi at a time when they are outperforming every other brand in the UK.
‘Having been around so long we know how important it is to treat customers right and we pride ourselves on our customer retention. I’m confident our new relationship with Mitsubishi will be a very successful one.’
Between them Steve and Debbie have 65 years’ experience in the trade, while general manager Dean Mellings has worked at the company for 20 years.
‘Debbie and I were both born and bred here and it’s still very much a family business. We have got a lot of staff who have been here for years and that is the way we operate.’
Lance Bradley, managing director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the team from Autosales Ltd to the Mitsubishi family.
‘They are joining our network at a very exciting time and we naturally wish the business every success.
‘We are attracting more and more customers to our brand, with great vehicles and first-class customer service, and we are sure Autosales Ltd will become part of our success story very quickly.’
