Almost 100 jobs protected after Wallsend car firm sold to national giant

A family-run motor retailer in the North East is under new ownership after being snapped up by a rival group.

Wingrove Motor Company, based in Wallsend, North Tyneside, was the largest family-owned and operated motor company in the North East, having run a range of motor franchises across the region for the last 99 years. The business operated four centres in North East, including showrooms in Silverlink, North Tyneside, and Fenham, Newcastle, a body shop in Cramlington and a prep centre close to Shiremoor, North Tyneside.

The group was founded on 1925 by Newcastle cattle auctioneer John Myers Dalkin Snr, and has been run by successive generations of the family ever since. Now, eight months ahead of its centenary, the business has been acquired by fellow North East automotive business Arnold Clark, the largest privately-owned family automotive business in Europe.

The deal sees the closure of Wingrove’s site in Fenham, but all 97 members of staff - including those from the shuttered Newcastle site – have transferred to the new owners, who have reassured customers and employees that it is business as usual, with all services continuing albeit with a new name above the door.

The value of the transaction has not been revealed and the Wingrove sites have now been rebranded to Arnold Clark.

A spokesman for Arnold Clark said: “We are going to carry on the 100-year-old family business which has now moved into the family of Arnold Clark, and all jobs have been protected which is great news, and it will carry on trading as normal. All the same staff, all the senior managers and all the same services will be available - all that has changed is the name on the building.”

Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd is one of the largest car dealer groups in Europe. It started with just one showroom – opened in Glasgow, Scotland, back in 1954 - after founder Sir Arnold Clark left the Royal Air Force and used his demob money to buy a Morris Ten Four for £70. After restoring the car to its original condition, he sold it for a profit.

Today, the firm is Europe’s largest privately owned car retailer with over 200 car dealerships in Scotland and England, representing over 25 different manufacturers. Accounts filed last month covering 2023 show group revenue increased 1% to £4.965bn.

Most recent accounts for Wingrove Motor Company Limited covering 2022 show revenues rose from £30.5m to £37m.