Johnsons Cars has added six Volkswagen and Skoda dealerships and its first Trade Parts Specialists (TPS) businesses through the acquisition of Trust Group UK.

VW and Skoda dealerships in Redditch, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton will retain their current Trust Group branding under the new ownership of the 31st ranked AM100 car retail group by annual turnover, a spokesperson said.

As will the TPS centres in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, which sell genuine parts for Volkswagen Automotive Group brands Audi, Seat, Skoda, Cupra, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

A statement issued to AM by Johnson Cars said it would remain “business as usual across the showrooms and TPS Parts centres”, adding that customers could expect to receive “the same first-class service from the dependable staff”.

It added: “Like Trust Group UK, at Johnsons Cars we pride ourselves on offering outstanding customer service, and we welcome your in-person or online enquiries at any time for advice and support when buying your next car.”

Trust Group’s turnover rose by 10.3% to £70.7m as pre-tax profits rose by 63.3% to £1.7m.

Trust was managed by founders Andrew Hockedy, managing director and Nigel White, finance director.

In its latest published accounts – for the COVID-impacted period to December 31, 2020 – Johnsons Cars recorded an 8.4% rise in turnover to £495.6 million as pre-tax profits rose by 410% to £3.224m.

It was the group’s first full-year of trading since its £7.2m acquisition of four of Sytner Group’s Goodman Retail division Volkswagen dealerships.

The sites – in Liverpool, Warrington, Stafford and Stoke-On-Trent – took its VW dealership count to 10 at the time, including its VW store in Birmingham's Bullring.

Prior to its acquisitions from Sytner, Johnsons acquired TH White Motor Group in July 2018 to add the Jeep and Fiat Commercial franchise to its business.

That deal included a showroom at Hillmead, Swindon, which sold and serviced vehicles across the FCA range – Fiat, Fiat Commercial, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Jeep.

Johnsons now operates over 50 franchised car dealerships with 15 brand partners across the South of England, West Midlands and North West.