Chinese electric car brand GWM Ora UK has increased its dealerships in the north of England with a partnership with Holdcroft, while Citygate Group has opened its first GWM Ora dealership at High Wycombe.
Holdcroft has now opened a full GWM Ora dealership at Crewe plus an authorised repairer workshop at Stoke-on-Trent.
Citygate's dealership is currently GWM Ora's closest one to London.
Toby Marshall, managing director of GWM ORA UK, said: “With so much exciting news and activity on the horizon for the GWM ORA brand, it’s important that we accelerate our recruitment of retailer partners to help support our operations and commercial targets in the UK.
"As our latest retailer appointments, Holdcroft and Citygate will offer customers fantastic levels of customer service and a friendly and welcoming space to explore the GWM ORA brand.”
The GWM Ora UK network is on track to have 20 full sales sites open by the end of 2023.
Currently focused on just one model, the GWM Ora Funky Cat, franchisees are set to get more model lines in the future as IM Group, which is the licensed distributor in the UK, imports them.
Simon Mclaughlin, managing director of Citygate Automotive, which also represents Volkswagen, Skoda, Cupra, Seat and Kia, said: “GWM ORA is a really exciting new brand to launch into the UK market, offering fantastic levels of specification in its products as well as a premium look and feel.
"We are confident that our customers will love experiencing ORA Funky Cat First Edition and can’t wait to welcome them to our new showroom.”
At Holdcroft, its GWM ORA franchise director Luke Regan said: “We are super excited at Holdcroft to be a part of this special journey with GWM ORA and the promising future with the all-electric model range that is with us and upcoming.
He added: "We believe that GWM Ora offers an alternative premium for our customer and in comparison to what is already available in the marketplace.”
In this spotlight issue:
Will flexible working ever suit today's dealerships?
Some cite motor retail's lack of flexibility as a barrier to recruitment. Can it do more?
Buyers still want help with their car purchase
Consumers continue to value point-of-sale finance and insurance
Is part exchange losing power?
Ways dealers can still compete effectively against car-buying platforms
Overcoming complexity in aftersales
How to optimise the efficiency of a franchised workshop
Papering over the omnichannel cracks
Progress has been made, but the end goal continues to remain out of reach
Read now
As editor, Tim is responsible for the media content, planning and production of AM's multiple channels (AM print and digital magazines, website, social media and contributing to our events planning). He interviews and writes about as many franchised dealer groups and UK divisions of motor manufacturers as possible, to explore the issues facing UK motor retail and understand what solutions dealers and suppliers are using to overcome these.
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