Britain’s largest automotive retail chain Pendragon, which includes five solus motorcycle dealerships in its business portfolio, has reported strong financial results for 2013.
Annual sales revenue grew by six per cent to £3.64bn. And after paying down £76.8m of its debt, cutting the remainder to £139.6m, the Nottingham-based company declared a 14 per cent pre-tax profit rise to £44.2m.
Of course, this success has little connection with Pendragon’s pair of Triumph outlets in Wolverhampton and Leicester, and trio of Harley-Davidson emporiums in Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Wolverhampton — all bearing Stratstone branding. Hundreds of similarly-monikered Stratstone and Evans Halshaw car sales forecourts throughout the country are largely responsible, according to Pendragon chief executive Trevor Finn.
“The numbers are very good,” he said. “The UK car market is growing and it is more sustainable than many people think.”