Sunwin spends £1m on showroom improvements

Sunwin Motor Group is investing £1m in refurbishing and upgrading its Yorkshire dealerships.

The largest single investment is the £400,000 redevelopment of the former Vauxhall showroom in Keighley, completed in November. The showroom closed in September to make way for a new Peugeot showroom, relocated from smaller premises at Alice Street, Keighley.

The new development on the 1.3-acre site in Worth Way, consists of a nine-car showroom featuring the best of the new Peugeot range, plus a forecourt for between 80-90 used cars. Workshop facilities have also been extended to provide an Express Fit centre for all brands of car over three years old, offering tyres, exhausts, brakes and MOT testing whilst-u-wait.

A café and children's play area has also been built.

Sunwin Peugeot in Halifax is due to go through a similar refurbishment at the beginning of 2002. Sunwin Renault on Queens Road, Halifax, has already had its showroom and workshops overhauled to the tune of £200,000. The improvements follow earlier investment in new computer technology for workshops. At Sunwin Renault, Bradford more than £100,000 has been spent on improving the reception area and expanding the business centre to accommodate the growing business team.

Sunwin's general manager Mike Austin said: "This investment, combined with a more buoyant market and the bigger and better selection of new and used cars we are offering is paying dividends.

"The group's performance has also been boosted by the successful integration of the three Farnell dealerships, which we acquired in 1999 - two Land Rover garages in Bradford and Guiseley and a Rover outlet also in Guiseley. And we are also reaping rewards for achieving a very high standard in commercial sales, locally and nationally."