JCT600 granted staff an extra day’s holiday as teams from the group’s 50-strong roll-call of dealerships gathered to celebrate the business’ 70th anniversary.

The Bradford-headquartered operation rewarded all 2,300 staff, from as far afield as Lincoln and Newcastle, as it gathered them together for a special celebratory lunch last week.

Founded in 1946 by Jack Tordoff, current chairman and father of chief executive John Tordoff, the historic business began life as Brooklands Garage on Sticker Lane, Bradford, subsequently becoming Tordoff Motors and selling its first vehicle, a Jowett van, for just £175. 

In 1961, the current company name was born after Jack bought a Mercedes 600 with the registration JCT600, which included his own initials. 

Over the last seven decades, it has grown from a single dealership into a top AM100 group which yields a £1.145 billion annual turnover, represents 18 of the world’s leading car marques and sells more than a million vehicles.

John Tordoff, chief executive of JCT600, said: “We have come a long way over the last 70 years and are very proud not only of our long heritage, but also of the fact that we have remained true to our family values. 

“Putting the customer first remains central to everything we do and this is only possible if we have a committed and loyal team which shares our culture.

“As we continue to strive to make JCT600 the best place to work, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank every single colleague for their hard work by ensuring that they are all included in our anniversary celebrations and feel appreciated for their part in the company’s success.”

JCT600 operates 50 dealerships throughout Yorkshire, the North East, the Humber, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

So far this year the brand has celebrated the completion of works on an eco-friendly Audi showroom in Lincoln and the opening of a new Lotus franchise in Leeds.

The group has also overseen the redevelopment of its Hull Audi dealership.