Yorkshire Co-operatives, which includes 14 Sunwin motor retail outlets, has announced record sales of £479m in 2000, an increase of 19%.

The motor group division recorded a 45.8% year-on-year increase in turnover to £129.2m.

The number of new units sold was 4,227 - 48% up on previous year (2,849); used units 5,774, 20% up on previous year (4,815).

Motor division profits remained around the same as last year at £1,365,000.

The society, which includes a food, motor, travel, petrol and funeral division, reported profits totalling more than £11.7m, up 6.6% on 1999.

The 14 outlets across Yorkshire and Lancashire include Bradford's Sunwin Renault dealership, which last year became one of only a handful of Renault dealerships to achieve major business centre status and was named Renault UK Business Centre of the Year.