Motorcycle dealerships in Norfolk and Suffolk are celebrating winning top awards from Triumph and Honda. Both are branches of Lings Motor Group, the Norfolk and Suffolk-based motorcycle and car dealer.
Watton-based Lings Norfolk Triumph, a founding Triumph dealer since the manufacturer’s relaunch in 1991, won outstanding dealer of the year 2016 at the Triumph dealer awards for its outstanding overall performance in sales, marketing, clothing, accessories and customer satisfaction.
The Norfolk Triumph team received a standing ovation when collecting the award. Lings Norfolk Triumph also took home the prize for accessories dealer of the year, awarded for outstanding accessory sales figures; while Lings Suffolk Triumph was honoured with clothing dealer of the year for its superb clothing sales performance.
Lings Norfolk Triumph branch manager Scott Lock said: “A fantastic job has been done by everyone here to earn these honours but we couldn’t have done it without our fantastic customers.”
Mark Gardiner, branch manager at Lings Suffolk Triumph, added: “These things don’t happen by accident. Our teams work hard to deliver on and exceed customer expectations. The Triumph products are obviously of the highest standard, but it’s the teams at our branches and their attitude to our customers that keeps people coming back time after time.”
Lings also received special recognition from Honda Motorcycles to mark decades of service to the brand. The award, one of only a handful ever given out in the Europe and celebrating what Honda called its outstanding contribution to motorcycling, was presented to MD Chris Jary, director Paul Barkshire, Harleston dealer principal Mark Powell and Ipswich dealer principal Mark Gardiner at a special ceremony at the national Honda dealer conference.
Lings Honda Ipswich was also given special recognition and an individual award marking its own 50 years of service to Honda Motorcycles.
Barkshire paid tribute to staff past and present, with special mention to the board of directors David and Anne Jary. “It was a big surprise – and a very welcome one – to be honoured in this way. Chris and myself, along with Mark Gardiner, Mark Powell and all our staff, dedicate this award to David and Anne who, between them, laid the foundations for what Lings has become today.
“Honda has remained an industry leader for decades now to have played our own part in its story – past, present and future – is something we are extremely proud of.”
Gardiner said: “It’s a huge achievement to have worked in partnership with Honda for 50 years and I am proud and delighted to collect this award on behalf of Lings Ipswich.”
PFK Ling, later Lings Motor Group, began more than 150 years ago as a family blacksmith. Within a few decades it had grown from a bicycle dealership at Bungay to motorcycle dealerships at Harleston and later Lowestoft, stocking the typical British bikes of the time from Norton to BSA. What would prove to be inspired, but was at the time risky, was the decision to partner with a little-known Japanese manufacturer, fronted by the charismatic Soichiro Honda, in the early 1960s. At the time Honda was struggling to establish a foothold in the western market as its sporty, aggressively-styled motorcycles were so far removed from the powerful, heavier machines typical of European roads.
Directors David and Anne Jary saw a gap in the market and Lings became the largest parts stockist for Honda in Europe and, over the years, expanded its showroom and product portfolio.
Now Lings is one of the UK’s largest motor groups with dealerships throughout East Anglia based at Watton, Harleston, Ipswich and a six-acre motor park at Lowestoft.
Picture are, from left, Paul Lilley, Triumph Motorcycles UK, Chris Bullions of Lings, Lings Triumph brand manager Bob Brennan, Lings Norfolk Triumph branch manager Scott Lock and Bruno Tagliaferri, of Triumph Motorcycles UK
Below: Celebrating Lings Honda’s double awards are, from left, Ipswich dealer principal Mark Gardiner, director Paul Barkshire, MD Chris Jary and Harleston dealer principal Mark Powell