Pentagon Group, which specializes in GM brands, has paid £1.5m for its first Peugeot dealership and wants to acquire or open more, says Trevor Reeve, chairman.

“It is not easy to get in with manufacturers because they have preferred partners but our aspiration is to develop the relationship,” he says.

Pentagon Group, which has six Vauxhall dealerships in the East Midlands and the north of England, has acquired Blackshaws’ Peugeot dealership in Burton-on-Trent, where the family sold cars for 73 years.

Owner Robert Blackshaw had no-one wanting to continue the business and has now retired. He sold his adjacent Vauxhall outlet to Pentagon Group in 1998 and says he welcomed the chance of a second transaction that protected his employees.

Reeve says: “Our policy is to have two brands on each site where possible to share costs. We are selling around 800 new and used on the former Blackshaws Vauxhall dealership and will aim for 750 at the Peugeot dealership. Our future target is 2,000 new and used at the combined site.”

The site also has a Pentagon Vauxhall van centre which will now become multi-brand, adding Peugeot light commercials.

Work has started on a £4m Vauxhall/Saab site due to open in Oldham in March. Pentagon, which turns over £268m, sold its half-share in three Toyota outlets in June to former partner, Steve Burrows. He owns them outright but continues to brand them Pentagon under a licensing agreement.