Pendragon has stepped up its motor retailing growth in Germany with the acquisition of SGZ, a Land Rover dealership in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt.

Chief executive Trevor Finn said Jaguar would be added at the site which was previously a family business. Pendragon now has seven Jaguar, four Land Rover and two Aston Martin outlets in Germany.

Mr Finn said: “I believe there is scope for us to expand further in Germany, and not necessarily with sites representing Ford Motor Company marques.

“We decided last year to open more dealerships in Germany where the market is more stable than in the UK. It also has the benefit of allowing us to trade in an another country with a different economic cycle.”