Sytner Group has bought two Audi dealerships to raise its representation with the manufacturer to ten, giving it the same number as Inchcape Retail in the UK.

The two major groups now have close to a fifth of Audi’s 116 UK centres between them. AM did ask, but Audi UK would not reveal the likely total sales of new cars this year for the two groups.

Gerard Nieuwenhuys, Sytner’s managing director, says the acquired dealerships will help to increase group turnover to close to £2.5 billion this year. Both will be moved into new premises.

The purchase of the John Fox businesses in Leicester and Nottingham extends Sytner’s Audi network into the East Midlands. The group also has Audi centres along the M4 corridor and in North and West Yorkshire.

“Our policy is to expand our turnover at a sensible rate, and we have always been strong with Audi,” says Nieuwenhuys. “The attraction is the model range, which will be further strengthened this year by the A5 coupé and the A8 model.”

Sytner paid an undisclosed price for John Fox Audi in Nottingham and Leicester Audi. Sytner is building a new dealership to accommodate what will be renamed Nottingham Audi close to the group’s BMW, Ferrari and Maserati outlets. In Leicester, Audi has acquired a site to build a new centre opposite Sytner’s Lexus dealership. Sytner will lease the premises from Audi.

Nieuwenhuys says: “The acquisition is of particular significance as Sytner’s first two businesses were BMW dealerships in Leicester – where we have our head office – and in Nottingham.

John Fox sold his business because he wanted to retire. “I have known John for many years, since I was running an Audi centre in Nottingham,” says Nieuwenhuys.