Mitsubishi continues to grow with yet another new dealership opening, this one is in Surrey.

A family-run dealership in Surrey that is marking its 50^th year in the business this year has joined the Mitsubishi family.

Normandy Garage, in Guildford Road, Normandy, was established in 1966 and so close are the ties that owner John Richards even lives next door. Meanwhile, his sons Ian and Johnny Richards are, respectively, the dealer principal/sales manager and financial controller.

John said: ‘Family values are what the garage trades on – treating people how you want to be treated. We’ve got lots of loyal customers, and what we excel in is customer service. That’s the crux of what we do – attention to detail and 100% customer service. It’s all about customer service. You treat people right and guess what? They come back. It’s not rocket science!’

The showroom has space for five vehicles and there’s a three-ramp workshop as well as a comfy customer waiting area with free wi-fi, plasma LCD TV, fresh-bean coffee machine and daily newspapers. In addition, a free pick-up and drop-off service is offered, as are loan vehicles.

Also swelling the staff ranks dedicated to Mitsubishi is Sales Executive Toby Carter, and John said: ‘We see a great future with Mitsubishi. Staff have been there for 15, 20 years plus, and if retention is high that only says a good thing about the brand. Mitsubishi’s aspirations are where we would like to be.

‘Our core brand is Normandy Garage. We’ve got a lot of customers, and we don’t do anything half-heartedly. We wouldn’t take on something we weren’t happy with, because that goes against what we do, which is treating people how you want to be treated, and the brand totally fits our customers.

‘And you’ve got to believe in what you sell. If you don’t believe in it you can’t sell it, and the vehicles really are fantastic, especially the Outlander PHEV and its plug-in hybrid technology plus everything else as well, from the chic city car that is the Mirage to the iconic L200 pick-up – there truly is something for everybody in Mitsubishi’s range.’

An official launch weekend was held on March 19 and 20, but such is Normandy’s successful approach that it managed to sell four Mitsubishi vehicles soon after adopting the franchise. Future plans also include having a presence at the Surrey County Show on May 30.

Mitsubishi Motors is seeing a strong and sustained period of growth. Statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show Mitsubishi Motors in the UK has been the fastest-growing mainstream car manufacturer for the past three years. The company saw sales growth in passenger cars of 44 per cent in 2015 compared with the previous year, against an overall market up by six per cent.

Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said: ‘I’m delighted to welcome Normandy Garage to the Mitsubishi family. Its strong family ethos and the importance it places on customer care perfectly match our own values, and I look forward to it contributing to Mitsubishi’s growing success in the UK.’