West of England Honda dealers back in business

Honda (UK) is pleased to announce the reopening of three of its car dealerships in the west of England following the appointment of new franchises.

One of the region’s biggest dealer groups, Blade, has acquired the three former Amethyst sites at Chippenham, Gloucester and Cheltenham. The takeovers will help to further strengthen Honda’s UK network and ensure consumer confidence in the brand.

Commenting on the takeover, Philip Crossman, Head of Network Development at Honda (UK), said: “We are delighted the sites are open again in business. It was really important for us to revive these dealerships in an area close to where we build cars at Swindon.”

Crossman continued: “The takeovers are the latest in a number of recent acquisitions that will secure the future of our network and ensure it is ‘business as usual’ for our customers.”

The Chippenham and Gloucester sites are open now for new and used car sales and servicing, while the site in Cheltenham opens later this week as a used car and service operation.

Blade Motor Group already has two Honda motorcycle dealerships, as well as a number of car franchises, including Volkswagen, Audi and Alfa Romeo outlets.

Jerry Martin from Blade Group, said: “We already enjoy an excellent relationship with Honda, through our motorcycle division and are delighted to be adding Honda Cars to our portfolio, a move which further strengthens our position in the premium sector of the market in these locations.”

The Amethyst Group ceased trading in October, 2008. For the past few months, neighbouring Honda dealers have provided support for customers in the area. Honda customers seeking advice or more information on the acquisitions can call the Honda contact centre on 0845 200 8000.