The RAC Dealer Network is on track to meet its target of attracting 170 new car retail business members in 2020 having attracted 105 in the first 10 weeks of the year.

Among the new additions to the approved new car sales warranty and aftersales network are Millennium Motors of Edinburgh, Burford Car Sales of Hertfordshire, Ashridge Vehicles of Berkhamsted, Luton Trade Centre and Hilton Garage of Derbyshire.

Sean Kent, RAC director of sales at Assurant, said that his operation has “very much hit the ground running” this year and has succeeded in attracting a mix of small independents and multi-site dealer groups to the network.

“In 2020, our target is to hit an overall national presence of 1,570 dealers and we are almost at 1,500 already, which shows the strength of our proposition,” he said.

“As recently as the start of 2018, we stood at around 1,200 dealers, so we are certainly growing quickly.”

Kent believes that there were a number of factors behind the new signings, from the impact of positive differentiation offered by the RAC name to new dealer consultancy services.

“Obviously, the reasons for joining the network differ from dealer to dealer but it is possible to identify some key trends.

“The brand remains a key part of the proposition. We recently completed in-depth research that showed 63% of consumers were more likely to buy a used car from a dealer offering an RAC warranty.

“That effect can’t be understated in a warranty sector where few companies have any substantial levels of customer recognition.”