Luxury used car dealer Centurian Automotive looks set to be acquired by listed boutique hospitality specialist, the Barkby Group plc.

Gastropubs and luxury inns operator, The Barkby Group, has signed heads of terms for the acquisition of Kettering-headquartered Centurian Automotive.

Centurian has a showroom facility on Grange Road, Islip, from which it retails a range high-end vehicle stock, which currently includes a rare BAC Mono sports car for £179,949 alongside Aston Martins, Bentleys and Ferraris.

A statement issued by The Barkby Group described Centurian Automotive as “an award winning automotive dealership with a strong and fast-growing online digital presence”.

It said that the business prides itself on its best-in-class customer experience and was recently chosen by Autotrader from 13,000 motor dealers in the UK to represent the benchmark for all dealership training, marketing and master classes.

Barkby chief executive, Rupert Fraser, said: "Barkby is led by a highly experienced team with a successful track record of delivering value for shareholders.

"The board believes that the acquisition of Centurian into our consumer-led hospitality portfolio will be highly complementary and accretive, and we look forward to completing the transaction."

On its company website, Centurian claims that its business ethos ensures that “every aspect of our business is extraordinary and without compromise”.

It said that each and every one of its vehicles are hand-picked by founder Paul Harding, before being independently inspected and sold to a “guaranteed retail standard”.

The business advertises a free chauffeur collection service from Kettering station and Stansted Airport and a vehicle delivery service to anywhere in the UK.