Historic car dealership closes after more than 70 years as part of mega £397m deal that’s seen hundreds of job losses
A HISTORIC car dealership has been forced to close its doors after more than 70 years.
Mercedes-Benz of Bradford originally opened in 1953 and ran for more than seven decades – but ceased trading on October 31.
The closure comes as dealership group Stratstone begins the brutal task of closing some of its sites – months after it was acquired by Lithia Motors.
The US giants picked up Stratstone and Evans Halshaw in February after completing its takeover of Pendragon in a huge £397 million deal.
Then, in April, it was reported that Lithia had cut around 250 jobs by binning off used car supermarket brand CarShop.
Since then, Stratstone’s network of sites has been largely unaffected until now – which has seen Mercedes-Benz of Bradford joined by the Tyneside BMW and Mini dealership.
Another ex-Pendragon site – Evans Halshaw Ford Northwich – also closed its doors last month.
According to the Stratstone website, the Bradford-based dealership opened in 1953 and was the first dealer and distributor for all Mercedes vehicles in the North of England, and is the oldest in the UK.
It stood at its original site until it was destroyed in a fire in 1963; then the business moved to Thornton Road, where it remained until its closure last week.
Car Dealer Magazine revealed customers were informed of the closure in an email from Stratstone.
They wrote: “As a valued customer, we are contacting you to confirm the closure of the Stratstone Mercedes-Benz of Bradford store on October 31, 2024.
“We understand the store closure may raise a few questions, so we have tried to answer as many of these for you within the FAQs.
“This addresses questions around car finance, workshop bookings, and servicing.”
On the Stratstone website, the company confirmed that the “Mercedes-Benz of Bradford ceased trading in November 2024” and points to Mercedes-Benz of Leeds as the nearest alternative retailer.
Sun Motors has approached Stratstone for a comment.
This comes as a beloved family-run garage that’s been serving its local community for nearly a century recently closed its doors for good.
R Jackson Motors in Herne Bay, Kent, has been a staple on Bullockstone Road since 1932, but after 92 years the independent garage has shut up shop.
Elsewhere, a huge car tax change is set to see drivers paying as much as £2,800 more each year just to stay on the road.
The average driver will likely see their bill double, while some will have to stump up for the very first time.