JOHN Clark Motor Group has achieved record sales and profits for a fifth year running amid buoyant conditions in the car trade in Scotland.
The Aberdeen-based group increased pre-tax profits by 42 per cent to £10.5 million in the year to December from £7.4m in the preceding year helped by a dramatic increase in sales.
The company sold around 13,000 new cars in the year, up 16 per cent annually.
Used car sales volumes increased by 17 per cent to around 10,600.
John Clark operates a network of dealerships stretching from Elgin to Edinburgh. These sell brands including Nissan and SEAT.
During the year to December the firm felt the benefit of acquisitions, which helped it capitalise on strong demand for cars.
“One of the highlights has been the success on the back of our three Jaguar and Land Rover dealerships which were acquired mid-2013,” said business development director Chris Clark.
The company recently acquired the Frank Ogg Land Rover dealership in Elgin.
Sales of cars have been been boosted in the UK by the availability of relatively cheap finance deals during a period when the Bank of England has kept the official base rate at a record low of 0.5 per cent.
Economists think an eventual rate rise is inevitable but the timing of the first increase may have been pushed back following signs of a downturn in China.
Last month the chief executive of Lookers, Andy Bruce, said the Manchester-based giant wanted to acquire more dealerships in Scotland where it had been recording rapid growth in sales.
Mr Bruce noted high end marques such as Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover had been selling well in Scotland.
The strength of the new car market is providing a spur to the second hand business as people trade in cars to help fund purchases.
With more cars on the road demand for repair and maintenance work is growing.
John Clark said it grew turnover across its network of service workshops, accident repair centres and parts operations for the ninth consecutive year.
Total group turnover increased by 28 per cent annually, to £604m, from £472m in 2013.
Employee numbers grew by 11 per cent to 1,030.
John Clark said average earnings value grew by 10 per cent due to performance, without giving details.
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