Growing AM100 PLC Vertu Motors' high-profile efforts to leverage marketing and sponsorships to boost its profile will deliver "surprises" in the months ahead.

The car retail group’s Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors divisions already list Channel 4’s Formula One coverage, W Series and British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) teams, the Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Durham cricket teams and Burnley Football Club among its key sponsorships.

But chief executive Robert Forrester, who appeared on ITV’s Undercover Boss to kick-start a new era of high-profile marketing, told AM that there was more to come.

Speaking after Vertu revealed its H1 financial results this morning Forrester, who recently penned an opinion article for AM on the importance of its marketing strategy, said: “I think it’s righ to say that the public perception of Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors has shifted.

“Now we’re heavily aligned to motorsport, cricket and football, I think there is, perhaps only one car retail group in the UK that can top us for awareness and that would be Arnold Clark, but we still have a few surprises up our sleeve.”

Forrester said that his son, in particular, had been impressed by Vertu Motors’ appearance on EA Sports latest FIFA ’23 football computer game.

“He was absolutely cock-a-hoop when he saw the branding on Burnley’s shirts on the game,” Forrester told AM. “It’s a good demonstration of the new audiences we have been able to reach.”

In May last year Forrester told AM that his business would continue to drive a “big brand” profile after adding 30 car retail outlets in 15 months.

Speaking to AM at the time, he said: “Our high-profile marketing is here to stay. If you’re going to be successful, you’re going to have to have big brands.

“Take Coca-Cola, for example. Why do you still see them on television? In terms of building a profile, it doesn’t stop.”