JOHN Clark Motor Group has hailed the “most successful results” in its 43-year history amid soaring sales of new and used vehicles.
The family-owned car firm, which has nearly 40 dealerships across north, east and central Scotland, reported a best-ever profit before tax of £24.06 million in 2021, up from £6.26m, as it took advantage of favourable market conditions.
A long-running global shortage of semiconductors has in recent years limited the supply of new cars, which in turn has sparked high demand for used vehicles.
John Clark, which has BMW, Volkswagen, Skoda and Land Rover dealerships, reported record turnover of £910.3m last year, compared with £721.8m in 2020 and £820.8m in 2019. That came as used vehicle sales volumes rose by 33.4 per cent to 20,831 units, and new vehicle volumes climbed by 7.2% to 12,065, amid “unprecedented” conditions.
The company, which trades in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Perth, Elgin, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy, reported that service revenue grew by 18.7% and parts revenue by 21.7%, while noting that this was against a backdrop of Covid-related closures in 2020.
Chris Clark, group managing director, said: “I am immensely proud of what our teams have achieved in 2021. They have rebounded from the 2020 challenges and delivered our most successful results in our long 43-year history. Whilst I acknowledge that aspects of the market dynamics were very much on our side, I know that our teams worked tirelessly to come together as they harnessed their collective experience and channelled their abilities to make the very most of every opportunity.”
The company said its momentum has continued this year, with turnover growth and “healthy” profits across all areas. While used cars are performing well, new vehicle supply is still constrained.
However the company expects to post another “strong” performance.
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