12:01 pm, October 13, 2023
The UK’s biggest car dealers saw their sales take a tumble in September, despite rising levels of used car stock.
That is according to our used car partner CarCondor.co.uk which has been analysing the figures for the ninth month of the year.
The data shows that sales of second-hand cars declined to 163,662 in September, compared to 169,322 in August – a dip of 3.34 per cent.
There were declines across all sectors with franchise dealers seeing sales fall by 2.25 per cent and independents by 0.23 as used car supermarkets experienced a whopping 11.06 per cent drop off.
As a result of their falling sales, the 200 biggest firms made a combined £3.48bn in revenue in September, down 2.63 per cent on the previous month’s £3.57bn.
Despite the small struggles, dealers did see headaches over stock begin to ease last month, with new stock levels rising by 13.19 per cent to 174,065 units.
Arnold Clark remained the most stocked dealer in the 200-strong list, with an average of 19,004 second-hand cars in stock, a hefty fall on last month’s 22,276.
Marshall also clung onto second place with 7,778, ahead of Evans Halshaw which moved up one place to third with 7,616.
The top five is completed by Sytner, which dropped one place, with 6,699 and Bristol Street Motors, which had 6,646 used cars in stock.
When it came to the online disruptors, Cinch remained in ninth with 5,740 while Cazoo ended a difficult month in 12th with a stock level of 3,992.
The full list can be viewed below – members of the Car Dealer website can access the data as part of their membership.
| Rank | Dealer Name | Avg Stock | Rank Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnold Clark | 19,004 | |
| 2 | Marshall | 7,778 | |
| 3 | Evans Halshaw | 7,616 | +1 |
| 4 | Sytner | 6,699 | -1 |
| 5 | Bristol Street Motors | 6,646 | |
| 6 | Inchcape | 6,111 | +2 |
| 7 | Car Shop | 6,072 | -1 |
| 8 | Lookers | 5,743 | -1 |
| 9 | Cinch | 5,740 | |
| 10 | Motorpoint | 4,685 | |
| 11 | Big Motoring World | 4,639 | |
| 12 | Cazoo | 3,992 | |
| 13 | Available Car | 3,639 | |
| 14 | Jardine Motors | 3,626 | +1 |
| 15 | Group 1 Automotive | 3,524 | -1 |
| 16 | Steven Eagell | 3,125 | +1 |
| 17 | JCT600 | 2,802 | -1 |
| 18 | Stoneacre | 2,428 | |
| 19 | Stratstone | 2,199 | +1 |
| 20 | John Clark | 2,151 | +1 |
| 21 | Listers | 2,095 | -2 |
| 22 | Johnson Cars Limited | 2,016 | +2 |
| 23 | Parks Motor Group | 2,014 | -1 |
| 24 | Fords of Windsford | 1,957 | +1 |
| 25 | Car Supermarket | 1,851 | +4 |
| 26 | Cargiant | 1,837 | +10 |
| 27 | Car Base | 1,819 | -1 |
| 28 | V12 Sports and Classics | 1,751 | -5 |
| 29 | Hendy Group | 1,713 | +3 |
| 30 | Snows Group | 1,704 | |
| 31 | Robins & Day | 1,653 | -3 |
| 32 | Trust Ford | 1,578 | +2 |
| 33 | Perrys | 1,446 | -2 |
| 34 | Peter Vardy | 1,434 | -7 |
| 35 | CarStore | 1,411 | |
| 36 | Drive Vauxhall | 1,387 | +1 |
| 37 | Eastern Western | 1,385 | -4 |
| 38 | Glyn Hopkin | 1,301 | |
| 39 | Lloyd Motor Group | 1,285 | +1 |
| 40 | Swansway | 1,280 | -1 |
| 41 | Sinclair Group | 1,265 | +1 |
| 42 | Pentagon Motor Group | 1,196 | -1 |
| 43 | Mon Motors | 1,182 | +46 |
| 44 | RRG Group | 1,181 | |
| 45 | Hilton Garage | 1,180 | +2 |
| 46 | Bridgend Motor Group | 1,160 | +2 |
| 47 | Allen Motor Group | 1,145 | -4 |
| 48 | Motorparks | 1,135 | +1 |
| 49 | Yeomans | 1,132 | -3 |
| 50 | Rybrook Holdings Ltd | 1,056 | -5 |
| 51 | Vindis | 1,043 | -1 |
| 52 | Citygate Automotive Ltd | 1,026 | +3 |
| 53 | Carworld | 1,019 | |
| 54 | Eden Motor Group | 984 | -3 |
| 55 | Williams | 974 | -1 |
| 56 | Holdcroft | 932 | |
| 57 | Sandicliffe | 891 | +6 |
| 58 | Dick Lovett | 881 | -6 |
| 59 | Donnelly Group | 881 | -1 |
| 60 | Heritage Automotive | 878 | -3 |
| 61 | Saxton 4×4 | 870 | -1 |
| 62 | HPL Motors | 860 | -3 |
| 63 | Hartwell | 830 | +9 |
| 64 | Ron Skinner & Sons | 824 | |
| 65 | Formula 1 Car Supermarket | 807 | +9 |
| 66 | Car Uno | 802 | +13 |
| 67 | Chorley Group | 792 | +6 |
| 68 | Cars 4 You Ltd | 784 | +1 |
| 69 | Renault Retail Group | 775 | +8 |
| 70 | Vospers Motor House Ltd | 767 | -4 |
| 71 | Quality Part X | 763 | |
| 72 | Hammond Cars | 754 | -7 |
| 73 | Motor Market Limited | 743 | -11 |
| 74 | Motor Range | 736 | -6 |
| 75 | Carsa | 735 | -8 |
| 76 | Agnew Group | 717 | -15 |
| Part of Sytner Group | |||
| 77 | Peoples | 703 | -1 |
| 78 | Car Time | 700 | -3 |
| 79 | Vantage Motorgroup | 674 | +8 |
| 80 | Wilsons of Epsom | 668 | +5 |
| 81 | Thurlow Nunn | 662 | +3 |
| 82 | Halliwell Jones | 660 | -2 |
| 83 | Dace Motor Group | 659 | +8 |
| 84 | Endeavour Automotive Group | 644 | -2 |
| 85 | Brindley Garages | 643 | +3 |
| 86 | Norton Way Honda | 626 | -5 |
| 87 | Click Motors | 619 | +3 |
| 88 | Cars2 | 615 | +5 |
| 89 | Gravells | 603 | -11 |
| 90 | Penton Motor Group | 592 | -4 |
| 91 | Harwoods Group | 576 | -21 |
| 92 | John Banks Group | 574 | +9 |
| 93 | Day’s Motor Group | 571 | +4 |
| 94 | DM Keith | 570 | -2 |
| 95 | EMG Motor Group | 570 | +8 |
| 96 | Marriot Motor Group | 565 | |
| 97 | Worcester Car Sales | 565 | -14 |
| 98 | Howards Motor Group | 559 | -4 |
| 99 | Motorvogue | 558 | +7 |
| 100 | Berry Chiswick BMW | 552 | +9 |
| 101 | Richmond Motor Group | 550 | +1 |
| 102 | Arbury | 531 | +5 |
| 103 | Desira Group PLC | 529 | -3 |
| 104 | Riverside Motor Group | 527 | -6 |
| 105 | Caffyns | 522 | -1 |
| 106 | Parkway Volkswagen | 516 | -11 |
| 107 | Motorhub | 506 | +4 |
| 108 | JCB Group | 502 | -9 |
| 109 | Southern Vauxhall | 498 | -1 |
| 110 | Hawkins Motor Group | 489 | +2 |
| 111 | Vanstar | 489 | +3 |
| 112 | Acorn Group Ltd | 478 | +15 |
| 113 | Premier Car Supermarket | 472 | -8 |
| 114 | Barretts | 468 | -1 |
| 115 | Frank G Gates Ltd | 467 | -5 |
| 116 | Startin Group | 467 | +3 |
| 117 | Hatfields | 466 | -1 |
| 118 | SG Petch | 466 | |
| 119 | West Way | 459 | -4 |
| 120 | Eddie Wright Car Supermarket | 458 | +6 |
| 121 | Northwest Autos | 458 | -4 |
| 122 | Cotswold Motor Group | 446 | |
| 123 | Shelbourne Motors | 441 | +5 |
| 124 | Chapel House Motor Group | 439 | |
| 125 | Peter Cooper Motor Group | 438 | -4 |
| 126 | St Leonards Motors Group | 437 | -6 |
| 127 | Toomey Motor Group | 429 | -2 |
| 128 | W R Davies | 423 | +7 |
| 129 | Pinetree Car Superstore | 421 | -6 |
| 130 | Anchor Vans | 419 | +1 |
| 131 | Motorfair Hyundai Birmingham | 403 | +15 |
| 132 | LSH Auto | 402 | +8 |
| 133 | Hippo Motor Group | 402 | +1 |
| 134 | Parkside Motorstore | 401 | -2 |
| 135 | Brayleys | 389 | +1 |
| 136 | Read Motor Group | 388 | +20 |
| 137 | Drift Bridge Group | 387 | +2 |
| 138 | Roadside Motors | 387 | -1 |
| 139 | Corner Park Garages | 385 | +3 |
| 140 | TC Harrison Ford | 381 | -10 |
| 141 | Murray Group | 380 | +6 |
| 142 | Waylands | 376 | -1 |
| 143 | Bassetts | 375 | |
| 144 | Your Ford Centre | 375 | -6 |
| 145 | Car Planet | 372 | +6 |
| 146 | Direct Cars Limited – Sheffield | 371 | +8 |
| 147 | Wessex Garages | 368 | -14 |
| 148 | Jemca Group | 367 | +7 |
| 149 | David Hayton | 363 | -4 |
| 150 | Cox Motor Group | 359 | -21 |
| 151 | Stephen James Group | 358 | +6 |
| 152 | Ancaster | 357 | +1 |
| 153 | FRF Toyota | 354 | -4 |
| 154 | SERE Motors | 351 | +6 |
| 155 | H.R. Owen | 349 | +4 |
| 156 | Birchwood Group | 346 | +13 |
| 157 | Foray Motor Group | 344 | +18 |
| 158 | Wheels Van Centre Ltd | 344 | -10 |
| 159 | Martins Group | 340 | +12 |
| 160 | Nuneaton Car Sales | 335 | -2 |
| 161 | Bowker Motor Group | 335 | +21 |
| 162 | Rix Motor Company | 334 | +15 |
| 163 | Right Car Supermarket | 332 | -13 |
| 164 | Blackbird Crossroads Motors | 332 | +2 |
| 165 | Mercedes-Benz South West | 331 | -21 |
| 166 | Autozone | 331 | |
| 167 | Auto 100 | 330 | +12 |
| 168 | Hilton Car Supermarket | 328 | +5 |
| 169 | Smiths Motor Group | 328 | +22 |
| 170 | Platinum Motor Group | 327 | -8 |
| 171 | Stebbings | 327 | -10 |
| 172 | Ron Brooks | 325 | +20 |
| 173 | The Car Group | 324 | -21 |
| 174 | WJ King Group | 319 | +21 |
| 175 | John Grose | 316 | +5 |
| 176 | Vision Motors Direct | 315 | -11 |
| 177 | Mercedes-Benz Retail Group | 312 | -3 |
| 178 | Pulman Motor Group | 310 | -15 |
| 179 | Motor Plus Car Supermarket Ltd | 309 | -3 |
| 180 | Nick King Car Sales | 308 | +10 |
| 181 | Burrows Motor Company | 300 | -17 |
| 182 | TMS Motor Group | 298 | +1 |
| 183 | Fish Brothers | 297 | +14 |
| 184 | Dales Cornwall | 295 | -3 |
| 185 | London Motor Company (LMC Cars Ltd) | 293 | +4 |
| 186 | National Car Hub | 291 | -18 |
| 187 | Sherwoods Motor Group | 289 | -9 |
| 188 | Motortrust UK | 288 | -2 |
| 189 | Sascron | 287 | -4 |
| 190 | Budgen Motor Group – Telford | 285 | +3 |
| 191 | Islington Trowbridge Ltd | 277 | |
| 192 | Sandown Motor Group | 276 | |
| 193 | Holden Group | 276 | -6 |
| 194 | Big Van World | 275 | |
| 195 | Pristine Cars 4×4 Centre | 274 | |
| 196 | Redgate Lodge | 271 | |
| 197 | Colin Francis Cars | 271 | +3 |
| 198 | Southern Prestige Cars | 268 | |
| 199 | Tustain Motors | 266 | -5 |
| 200 | P&A Motor Vehicles | 266 | -1 |
