Former Dutton Forshaw managing director Maurice Rourke has died

Tribute has been paid to former Dutton Forshaw managing director and Inchcape chief executive Maurice Rourke.

National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) chief executive Sue Robinson led the tributes to the former retail group boss and AM Awards judge after he died last week.

Robinson took to social media to share the “very sad news” of Rourke’s death after paying tribute to him in the NDFA’s newsletter The Voice, describing him as “always a very vibrant character” in conversation with AM.

Rourke was highly respected with a wealth of experience in the motor industry.

In addition to Dutton Forshaw, he has also been chief executive of Inchcape Motors International, overseeing its non-Toyota activities worldwide, and vice-president sales Europe for the Chrysler and Jeep brands while they were under DaimlerChrysler ownership.

Rourke left Dutton Forshaw in 2007 after the retail group was bought by Lookers, from Lloyds TSB Asset Finance Division, for £60 million in cash.

That move came two years after an AM insight feature on the business and four years after Lloyds TSB Asset Finance had acquired the group – then listed at No 18 in the AM100 – for a cash consideration of £48.7m.

Dutton Forshaw had generated sales of £431m in the financial year to December 31, 2006, reported an operating profit of £3m and had gross assets of £129m.

Rourke later set up Ateco UK, which is in talks with Chinese manufacturers about importing their cars, and became an executive member of the NFDA.