The July issue of AM is out now. Scroll to the end of the page for a preview.

The 2015 AM100 supplement accompanying the latest issue of AM shows that records continue to be broken, dealer revenue and profitability have increased and the number of people working within the top 100 dealer groups has risen. With such a strong backdrop to the motor retail industry, and amid favourable economic conditions in general, the climate is right to consider whether to grow through acquisitions or sell up and reinvest the money.

Advisers in this specialist area share their thoughts on the right ways to manage acquisitions and disposals in this month's issue. Although their expertise varies from taxation through to employment law, you may notice a common thread – planning ahead.

Planning is a focus of Hodgson Newcastle, our Face To Face dealer profile this month. Yet acquisitions are not. Its owner, Steve Hodgson, has driven the group’s growth carefully, with an emphasis on delighting customers and managing debt, and he remains determined to prioritise what is right for his business, even if, occasionally, that isn’t what his manufacturers want.

One manufacturer hoping it will get what it wants is Ford. It wants its customers to stop deserting to the German premium brands. How does it hope to achieve that? By turning metropolitan dealerships into large FordStores and by offering a premium, personalised experience through its Vignale sub-brand. Tim Rose assesses the new approach and the first car to get the Vignale treatment, the Mondeo.

CAP retail and consumer valuations editor Philip Nothard suggests that not everything in the world of retail car sales is as rosy as the headline figures would suggest.

Meanwhile, Professor Jim Saker explores how looking at the crowd-sourced adverts of a crisp company could make your marketing more effective.