One of the oldest family-owned garages in the north-east of Scotland has signed a franchise deal with Honda.

Ewens of Cornhill spent the recent months recovering from the collapse of MG Rover, but now has the Honda franchise for a large area covering parts of Aberdeenshire and Moray.

Joint managing directors, cousins Alan and Mike Ewen, say this means job security for their 20 permanent staff and allows the 60-year-old firm to plan for the future.

Located in Cornhill, a village with a population of under 300, the garage has a loyal customer base built up over 42 years as a Rover dealer.

“We’ve had a successful connection with MG Rover and will not be turning our backs on those customers,” says Alan Ewen. “Looking after those vehicles will remain a priority for us alongside the development of our Honda business. We’ve already seen how good Honda is with the joint products it produced with Rover so we’re confident we’ll do well.”

The franchise starts in January, with a first year target of 100 new Hondas. With MG Rover they sold around 200 new cars a year and up to 500 used.