New car margins are under acute pressure, even for some premium brands, and many dealers are looking to counteract this by renewing their focus on used cars. 

According to Keith Howlett, of Carter and Carter, it’s an area where, with the proper attention, margins can be improved and circulation of funds increased.

“When you look at return on investment, capital turn is critical and the biggest chunk of that will be tied up in used car stock”, says Howlett. “Half a million pounds is not an unusual figure.  It’s one of the areas where strong management can have a significant overall impact on ROI.”