Colin Appleyard is preparing to marked its 40th year's trading since the unveiling of its first Suzuki car dealership in the UK with a series of customer events throughout 2019.

As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, the Keighley-based business will be hosting a series of events to celebrate its time with the Japanese brand as well as showcasing the organisation’s past through a series of photographic displays and timelines for customers to peruse when visiting their showrooms.

Suzuki GB’s director of automobile, Dale Wyatt, said: “We would like to congratulate Colin Appleyard on this significant milestone, and thank them for 40 years of commitment to our brand.

“As the biggest Suzuki retailer in the UK, they have been an integral part of our success since our arrival in this country, and we have been very encouraged to witness the growth of their Suzuki business through the decades.

“Without the hard work of dealers within our network like Colin Appleyard, we wouldn’t have achieved such a strong foothold in the market.”

The Colin Appleyard business was established in 1970 by the 34-year-old apprentice mechanic and entrepreneur, Colin Appleyard MBE, who sold motorcycles as a one-man band from premises in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

He then opened Cornmill Garage in 1979, the same year that Suzuki began to export its small SC100 “Whizzkid” coupé to the UK.

During the past four decades, the Yorkshire-based company has been proud to stay owned and run by the Appleyard family and Colin’s son, Robin, remains at the helm.

Over the years, Appleyard has evolved as an organisation, thanks to a significant level of investment, and today, its growing portfolio counts dealerships in Keighley, Huddersfield, and Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as its newest showroom in Bradford.

This thereby makes it one of the vehicle manufacturer’s largest retail groups in the UK. It is responsible for generating around 5% of all nationwide Suzuki sales.

To date it has sold and delivered over 35,000 new Suzuki cars and 4x4s in the UK.

Several members of its 150-strong team have worked for the business for over 25 years and the business credits the benefits of having a familiar face for customers to deal with for the high standards of service which has resulted in seven Suzuki “Dealer of the Year” trophies.

Colin Appleyard’s managing director, Robin Appleyard, said: “Our core philosophy of always putting the customer first, and maintaining an inviting family atmosphere, has consistently resonated with existing and prospective Suzuki car buyers.

“Combining values that my father instilled across our organisation, with a brand that provides vehicle owners with great value and low running costs, this has allowed us to excel during the last 40 years and reach this important chapter in our history. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.”