Ssangyong expands its dealer network by a further five new outlets, along with new models

• Five new SsangYong sales & service dealerships named for Canterbury, Maidstone, Montrose, Sheffield and Wakefield

A further five new SsangYong dealers have been added to the SsangYong franchise as the brand prepares to launch Rexton, its all-new large SUV arriving this autumn.

The new appointments are:

• Canterbury SsangYong
• Duthies of Montrose
• FG Barnes Maidstone
• Burrows Motor Company, Sheffield
• SB Wakefield

“The arrival of our new Rexton SUV is undoubtedly raising interest in the brand,” says Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK, “while the other improvements we have made to the range - added safety equipment on Tivoli & Tivoli XLV, new-look to Korando and increased towing capacity on the Musso pick-up, have all added to range appeal.

“With the current political and economic conditions, value-brands are increasingly in demand and we can offer a wide product portfolio of six different models - a choice of SUVs plus a seven-seat MPV and 1-tonne pick-up, unlike some other car makes.

“Confidence in SsangYong is growing steadily as our performance and improving media profile indicate, and the quality of prospective new dealers is extremely encouraging. We expect to be able to announce another tranche of new dealers in the near future,” Mr Williams concluded.

SsangYong is actively looking for good dealers with an entrepreneurial ‘can do’ attitude to represent the brand in a number of locations, and current open points include: Aberdeen, Ayr, Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Derby, Grimsby, Hull, Inverness, Lincoln, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, North Birmingham, Oxford, Perth, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southend, Swindon, Taunton, Teesside, Truro, Watford, Worcester, Worcester, Wrexham and York.

Ssangyong announces five more new dealers - that's 10 this year.

• Five new SsangYong sales & service dealerships for Bicester, Carmarthen, St Austell, Sheffield & Witham
• Includes two more former Chevrolet dealers

A further five new dealers have signed-up to represent SsangYong, Korea’s oldest car brand, bringing to 10 the number of new dealers appointed since January.

SsangYong Korando	SsangYong Rexton W
SsangYong Korando Sports pick-up	SsangYong Turismo MPV

For a selection of other shots go to the SsangYong online image gallery: SsangYong Image Gallery

The new appointments are:

• County Specialist Vehicles, Bicester, Oxfordshire
• Grant & McAllin, Holbrook, Sheffield
• Howards of Carmarthen, Carmarthen, South Wales
• Mid Cornwall Cars, Roche, St Austell
• Witham Vehicle Solutions, Witham, Essex

“We warmly welcome these five new dealers to the SsangYong franchise, two of whom - County Specialist Vehicles and Howards of Carmarthen - formerly represented Chevrolet," said Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK.  “Confidence in the SsangYong brand is unquestionably growing, and our business proposition for dealers is increasingly being recognised as the 10 new appointments so far this year testify.

“Every car in our four model range has been refreshed for 2014: face-lifted Korando, new Rexton W, improved Korando Sports pick-up and the recently launched Turismo, the most competitively priced MPV on the market.  Never before have we had such a complete range - a line-up of SUV and 4x4 vehicles that no other value-brand comes anywhere close to offering their dealer network and customers.

“That confidence is also being shared by customers as our sales figures so far this year would indicate.  And while one swallow doesn't make a summer, we are quietly optimistic about the rest of the year.”

SsangYong is actively looking for the right quality dealers to represent the brand in a number of locations.  There are a number of open points across England, Scotland and Wales including Aberdeen, Borders, Bradford, Greater Manchester, Leicester, Liverpool, London & South East, Mid & North Wales, Newcastle, Reading, Southampton, Teesside and Watford.

Christmas is coming early for one of Sheffield’s new MG dealers.

Eric Stead (Garages) is holding a special early Christmas party this weekend, complete with all the Christmas trimmings, to mark the official opening of the new MG dealership.

Trevor Stead, the firm’s Managing Director, said: “We’ve already taken orders for five MG3s and it’s a car that has really caught peoples’ imaginations. It offers such great value for money and word is now spreading fast.

“We’re now fully up and running and thought it would be a great time to celebrate, so we’ve laid on an early Christmas party.

“There will be mince pies, mulled wine and carols and we have three £100 Christmas hampers to give away in a prize draw as well as a Christmas lucky dip for the kids.

“Usually buying a new car isn’t on list of things people plan to do in the run up to Christmas, but we’ve been very busy with the new MG3.

Alongside an MG3 3STYLE demonstrator, Eric Stead also has new petrol and diesel MG6 GTs and an MG6 Magnette on show.

Eric Stead, in Ecclesfield in the north of Sheffield is one of two MG dealers in the city. Grant & McAllin in Rother Valley Way covers the south of Sheffield and is planning an opening event in January.

F-Type's covered in the Union Flag tour the Great British Isles

• A fleet of Union Jack liveried F-TYPEs has embarked on a ‘Best of British’ promotional tour as part of the car’s launch activity and Jaguar’s #YourTurnBritain social media campaign
• Working with ambassadors Jamie Campbell Bower, Alice Temperley, MistaJam, Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson, the campaign celebrates the best of British film, design, music and sport
• The tour started in London this month and visits Leeds and Newcastle (12th), Edinburgh and Glasgow (13th), Manchester and Liverpool (14th), Sheffield, Nottingham and Birmingham (15th) Cardiff, Bristol and Oxford (16th)

To celebrate the successful launch of the new F-TYPE sports car, Jaguar has launched its #YourTurnBritain campaign; inviting people to share photos that encapsulate the best of modern Britain through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr.  The best images submitted will win one of four unforgettable F-TYPE driving experiences.

A fleet of six F-TYPEs, with special Union Jack artwork, has embarked on a promotional tour of Britain in support of the new campaign.  The unique F-TYPE exterior finish was inspired by the recent ‘Best of British’-themed BBC Top Gear TV show, with an unprecedented line-up of UK automotive products on The Mall in London – led by three Jaguar F-TYPEs – each carrying a Union Flag.

So far, the #YourTurnBritain campaign has attracted more than 250,000 social interactions and over 2,000 competition entries across all social media platforms, with many blogs also contributing with their own celebrations of modern Britain.  The images encapsulate modern British culture, with a focus on design, sport, film and music, but all postings in line with the ‘modern Britain’ theme are welcomed. 

Jaguar UK marketing director, Ken Forbes, said: “The F-TYPE is a game-changer for the Jaguar brand and introduces our product to a diverse prospective customer audience.  Already, the F-TYPE has won international awards, achieved critical acclaim from media worldwide and is destined to become another design icon from Jaguar.

“#YourTurnBritain is an opportunity to celebrate all things British, iconic and of the moment, which is how we consider the F-TYPE – a symbol of British success. We are delighted with the campaign and wish everyone who posts images through our social media channels the very best of luck.”

The Union Flag fleet of F-TYPEs embarks on its UK tour from 12th-16th August, taking in cities from Edinburgh to Oxford with social media users invited to suggest their favourite locations for the cars to appear. Londoners will also be able to see the cars from 12th-23rd August as they take residence at Canary Wharf. 

MG secures second dealer in Sheffield, now they will argue over the one sale a month

Sheffield is to become the first city in Britain to have two new MG dealerships.

Eric Stead (Garages) Ltd in Ecclesfield will cover the north of Sheffield and Grant & McAllin in Rother Valley Way, Holbrook, will cover the south side of the city. They are both on target to open by the end of August, just ahead of the launch of the new MG3 supermini.  

By the end of 2013 a further six MG dealerships are expected to open at key sites across the country. Discussions are also currently taking place with several other prospective dealers in major UK towns and cities.

MG has always been at the heart of Eric Stead (Garages), a former MG Rover outlet. The dealership on The Common, Ecclesfield has continued to have a new, unregistered MG on display – it’s currently one of the last MGB GTs to be built.

Trevor Stead, the firm’s Managing Director, said: “MG has always been an important brand for us and it’s steeped in history and heritage. But it’s the MG of the future that really excites me – I can honestly say that winning the MG franchise was one of the proudest and most exciting days of my life.”

The dealership, started by Trevor’s father in 1963, has a 10 bay workshop, a modern, open nine new car showroom and employs 23 people.      

Four generations of the same family are behind Grant & McAllin, now run by Lee Atack. It’s one of the oldest automotive businesses in South Yorkshire and began life in the bus and coach business.

In 2007 Grant & McAllin moved to a £2.2 million site in Rother Valley Way, just minutes away from Junction 31 of the M1. The 1.5 acre site includes a 10 bay workshop and a 25 car showroom.

Lee said: “MG has always been a brand that people love and respect and I share the same feelings. I can't wait to start selling the new breed of MGs. I think that the MG6 is a highly competitive vehicle and from what I've seen of the MG3 it’s a brilliant package.

“Now everyone in Sheffield will have a local dealer and I look forward to working alongside Trevor in such exciting times.”