Polar Motor Holdings has bought the HMG Group's Hancock Southern Ford businesses in its Woodford territory, with centres in Walthamstow, Woodford, South Woodford, Chigwell and Staines.

Polar simultaneously announced the sale of its Ford dealerships in Bedford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes to CD Bramall.

Hancock Southern's Ford franchises in Tunbridge Wells, Horsham, Redhill and Tonbridge have been sold in a management buy-out led by Hancock's operations director Marc Matthew.

HMG Group's assets are being sold off after it went into receivership in March.

The franchises bought by Polar will trade as Dagenham Motors, Polar's trading brand for its southern operations. The sale was negotiated with Grant Thornton, HMG Group's receivers.

Alun Jones, Polar Motor Group's managing director said of the latest deals: “Both the acquisitions and the disposals were in line with the group's strategy to concentrate its activity into tighter geographical clusters, with the Dagenham Group now focused on business either within, or adjacent to, the M25 while the group's northern operations trading as Polar, will continue to develop its operations across the M62 corridor.”

Polar Motor Group is the joint venture business created by Jardine Motors Group and Ford.