Twenty-one of Britain's 1,000 richest people are in the motor trade, according to the 2004 Sunday Times Rich List.

It's the strongest ever showing in the list thanks to three years of record new car sales.

Highest-placed is Robert Edmiston, owner of Midlands-based Subaru, Isuzu and Daihatsu importer IM Group. He drops from 97 in the 2003 list to 123 this year with an estimated wealth of £352m. Edmiston is closely followed by Sir Arnold Clark, who thanks to profits of £44m last year on sales of nearly £1.5bn, rose from 162 to 137. His personal wealth is put at £315m.

Brothers Darren and Noel McKee, owners of Carcraft used car supermarkets are 310th and Tony Bramall who sold CD Bramall to Pendragon for £230m in January is 321st. Kwik-Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer is 342nd (£118m); Jack Tordoff, JCT600, is 351st (£112m); Sir Peter Vardy is 356th (£110m); Keith Bradshaw, boss of Listers is 468th (£86m) and Currie Motors' Abe Jaffe is 470 (£85m).