Six car dealer groups feature in the latest Sunday Times Top Track 100 table, which ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies by the biggest sales.

Arnold Clark is in the national top 10 of the Top Track 100 countdown of the largest private companies. Marshalls is at number 34, JCT600 at 51, Listers 54, Greenhous at 75 and Benfield 83.

Benfield features in the table for the first time growing sales by 13% to £700 million for the year to December 31, 2014.

The league table ranks Britain's leading private companies by sales in their latest available accounts.

Mark Squires, chief executive, said: "As a family-owned business founded in Byker on the east side of Newcastle in the 1950's, we are immensely proud to be represented for the first time amongst the largest private companies in the land.

“Our sure growth over many years is a testimony to our people who number over 1,500 and the family values we strive every day to live by."

The dealer groups feature alongside a number of high-profile national brands, including Clarks, Dyson, JCB and Virgin Atlantic. 

Dan Howlett, head of Corporate Banking in the UK at HSBC, said: "It's encouraging to see dynamic private

companies from across the UK recognised by the Top Track 100 league table.

"These businesses are passionate and dedicated, which is evident across the different sectors, and they play an important part in helping to strengthen the British economy."

The Top Track 100 annual league table is sponsored by HSBC and Linklaters. It is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.

The 100 companies featured grew their sales 2% to a combined £178bn, profits 7% to a total of £18bn, and employ a workforce of more than 920,000 having added 27,000 members of staff in their latest financial years.