Duncan Sands (53) has been appointed as group aftersales director at Swansway Motor Group.

He has 30 years’ experience in the motor trade, much of that with Volkswagen Group and in retail.

“As new and used vehicle sales margins continue to be squeezed, the world of aftersales becomes ever more significant,” he said.

“My ambition with Swansway is to make sure we have the right conversations, at the right time, with all our customers, providing compelling reasons for them to keep doing business with Swansway.

“If we get this right, our aftersales departments will grow as a consequence, leading to a far greater chance of vehicle repurchase”.

Sands (pictured) wasn’t always so confident around cars. On his first date with his wife, June, he reversed his sister’s Vauxhall Viva into a plate-glass shop window.