Minerva Bath, established by two former Wood BMW directors in 2013, has agreed an exclusive franchise arrangement to sell Korean-built SsangYong cars.

Minerva was launched last July by James Currant and John Lyddy, both former directors of regional car dealers Wood BMW Group. They invested £1.5m in the derelict former Dunsford Land Rover site in Box Road.

SsangYong, South Korea’s oldest and fourth-largest auto manufacturer, is seeking to build UK sales by opening new franchises across the country. Last year it registered 662 cars in the UK, giving it a market share of just 0.03%.

Managing director Currant said teaming up with SsangYong represented a great opportunity for the business to bring an underrepresented brand to the West Country.

“The SsangYong brand is performing well in the UK,” he said. “Since launching its latest range of cars there have been a notable number of SsangYong cars on our roads and so its visibility and profile is gradually increasing.

“The cars are excellent quality, of a high specification and within an affordable price range so we anticipate them to be really popular particularly as we move toward September and into the new registration period.

“To be able to have an exclusive franchise for Bath is really exciting for us and particularly to have a brand that sits easily alongside our pre-owned premium vehicles.”

Minerva Bath will have a full complement of SsangYong cars available for test drives. The business also recently added a MoT centre.