Car dealer group Harratts in Yorkshire has added its first Honda franchise.

It has opened the dealership in Wakefield alongside its existing Volvo site.

A family-owned Yorkshire motor group is bucking the economic downturn with the opening of its eleventh dealership in the region – Harratts has unveiled a new showroom in Wakefield alongside its existing Volvo site.

The family-owned group, which was established in Ossett in 1966, estimates that its latest car dealership will create 30 new jobs, taking its total group workforce to 380.

Managing director Shaun Harratt said the company is in a good position to continue steady growth.

He said: “We are a long-established, family-run business that prides itself on customer service, training and staff retention – the kind of values that resonate with customers.

“We have built a loyal customer base, a stable workforce and a solid management team which, combined with our business ethos, has enabled us to drive sales and expand in a time of market contraction – a position that few other motor groups find themselves in.”

Harratts already runs ten franchises in Yorkshire for Nissan, Renault, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and Volvo.

Harratt added: "It is exciting times for Honda, so it’s a great point in time to add the brand to our portfolio. We are already one of the largest independent Volvo dealer groups in the country and our aim is to replicate that success with Honda.”

Last year the Harratts group sold more than 8,000 new and used cars, while its corporate sales division sold in excess of 1,000 vehicles.