The Northern 4x4 Centre, a used car specialist and the UK’s second franchised Hummer dealer for Hummer, has collapsed.

The business, which had two sites in Tyneside,
ceased trading with the loss of eight jobs after its directors agreed to a creditors’ voluntary liquidation.

A General Motors UK spokesman said the collapse was not caused by Hummer’s performance, but was from a wider business issue.

Customers are being directed to the Edinburgh Hummer centre, operated by Pendragon.

Mike Pott, insolvency partner at RMT Financial Management, said a creditors meeting was scheduled for Wednesday this week.

Pott said: “In line with a lot of people in the motor trade with money being tight, there are not as many people buying cars.

The 4x4 market, in particular the luxury market, has been having a difficult time.”

Founded in 1995 by Stewart Rogers, who was later joined by his son Paul, the Northern 4x4 Centre specialised in used luxury SUVs and Japanese brand pick-ups and gained the Hummer franchise 12 months ago. 

It had one site in Morpeth and a second at the Vroom Motor Retail Park in Newcastle, where the Hummer franchise was located.

The fashion for large SUVs and other fuel-inefficient vehicles has been hit by high fuel costs and nationwide economic uncertainty, which has prompted some customers to choose other vehicles that are more economical to run.