Motorline Group has added Audi to its list of car manufacturer partners with the acquisition of the East Kent Audi franchise from Inchcape.

The acquisition of the dealership site in Canterbury, advised by law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore, brings the total number of dealerships operated by Motorline to 53 plus four Trade Part Specialist centres.

Motorline now employs over 1,650 staff with an annual turnover approaching £800m and operates businesses across the South East, South West, Midland and Wales.

Motorline chairman, Glen Obee, said: “We are delighted to have completed this deal which gives us our first Audi business.

“The Volkswagen Group is a significant and key partner for Motorline and we are pleased to be able to continue to expand and develop our business with the support of their management team and our growing partnership with the Volkswagen Group.

“We are especially pleased to have been able to acquire the business in Canterbury which is where our business was founded by my father Tom Obee in 1972 and we are extremely proud to be able to represent Audi in our home town where we have a great deal of personal connection.”

The Corporate team at Thomson Snell & Passmore, led by Partner and Head of Corporate, Joanne Gallagher, advised the Motorline Group on the acquisition.

Gallagher said: “We are delighted to have advised in connection with another successful acquisition, in particular, Motorline’s first Audi business.

“The transaction marks a further step towards Motorline’s continued growth and expansion plans, and we look forward to continuing to assist the Motorline group in its future projects.”