Dealer group aquisitions, court cases and the backlash against Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat featured heavily in AM-online's top 11 most read stories of 2015.

As did Top Gear's Richard Hammond, who featured in our most widely read news story of the year - clearly there are some SEO benefits to a modest little story about the hugely popular TV show crashing Mazda's website.

Hence our decision to choose a top 11. Top Gear references excluded, the remaining 10 largely were very significant events of the year.

1) Top Gear Richard Hammond's MX-5 praise 'almost put Mazda into meltdown'

2) Lookers expands with takeover of fellow AM100 car dealer Benfield Motor Group

3) Volkswagen reveals names of VW and Audi models affected in emissions rigging

4) Volkswagen and Skoda get a hammering in franchised dealer satisfaction survey

5) New SsangYong Tivoli: Pricing revealed

6) 'Dealer showrooms are dying,' says manufacturer

7) Marshall acquires SG Smith for £24.4 million

8) Car salesman warned he could face jail after jury finds him guilty of fraud

9) Supreme Court says Pendragon's dealerships accountable after finding demonstrator VAT scheme was "abusive" of the law

10) What the VW scandal means for dealers - a lawyer's perspective

11) Change in consumer law set to bring industry shake-up, warn experts