Vertu expands Scottish presence in Hyundai deal

Car dealer Vertu Motors, which trades under the Macklin banner in Scotland, has boosted its presence north of the Border with the acquisition of two Hyundai dealerships.

The firm has paid about £700,000 for the two sites in Edinburgh, which were previously owned by Archers of Edinburgh and Phoenix Car Company.

The deal takes Vertu’s total dealership network to 101 outlets and makes it the largest Hyundai dealer in the UK, with seven sites.

Vertu chief executive Robert Forrester said: “From a standing start a couple of years ago, we now have nine dealerships in Scotland and we plan to continue this growth.

“Vertu continues to have a strong acquisition pipeline and management anticipates further deals to be announced in the near term.”

Last month, the group reported a 68.6 per cent jump in pre-tax profits to £8.6 million for the first half of its financial year, on revenues 33.3 per cent higher at £837.2m.