Commercial vehicle leasing company Autorama Group is looking to establish its own franchised network of LCV centres.

The business was previously just available online www.vanarama.co.uk but will now have eight franchises across the UK which it is hoping to expand to 25 before the end of the year.

The eight franchisees will be on the road and will not hold stock themselves, but will be aiming to compete with franchised dealers for light commercial vehicle (LCV) business from sole traders and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Andy Alderson, Autorama managing director, said: “There are franchised dealers out there who have commercial vehicles as part of their range, but their focus is often diluted by car sales.

“They simply may not have the time or budget to focus on vans. Our whole philosophy and business focus is dedicated to offering impartial advice on vans from a number of manufacturers.”

Alderson said the decision to launch physical sites had been driven by the banks’ inability to lend to small businesses and there is still a “huge proportion” of the LCV market reluctant to deal online when looking to acquire a big ticket items.

The first eight Vanarama franchisees will cover Basildon, Ilford, Romford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Barnet, Dunstable and Northampton.