Xpart, the components division of MG Rover, will be an all-makes operation in less than 12 months. The company is in talks with a number of other carmakers about winning “third party” business and managing director John Parkinson says the initiative will be launched to dealers and wholesalers at the end of the year before being rolled out in May 2004.

“We want to have 95 per cent of cars in service covered by service parts. It will be a comprehensive range,” he says, adding that basic standards relating to space and systems will be put in place to increase the range of parts.

“It will require a relatively low level of investment because the basic infrastructure is there,” he says. The group has 87 wholesalers and dealers and expects up to five more to come on board when the initiative goes live.

“We are doing this because we see an opportunity for Xpart to expand our parts business in the UK and Europe,” says Parkinson. “The UK service parts business is worth £2bn a year and we currently have a very small part of that. With this initiative we hope to achieve between 0.5 and one per cent market share and grow our current turnover from £200m.”