Inchcape will enter a close period on January 5 ahead of its preliminary results announcement, for the year ending December 31, on March 6.

Profit before tax and exceptional items are anticipated to be around £188.5m, which is an 11.9% rise on last year’s figures.

Inchcape said trading in the UK was ‘in line with expectations, despite a challenging market’.

The company also announced the appointment of Karen Guerra as a non-executive director. She joins the Inchcape board on January 1.

Guerra is president and chief executive of Colgate Palmolive France, and was appointed to their Board in 1999.