County Garages in Barnstaple has been bought by Vospers

Barnstaple’s County Garages Limited has been purchased by long-established automotive retail group Vospers with a major expansion into the North Devon area.

The acquisition was completed on Tuesday, May 27, meaning Vospers has added a dealership that holds franchises for Vauxhall, Renault, Dacia, Kia and Suzuki to the extensive list of brands it already offers.

Vospers has been operating for 79 years and has premises in Exeter Torquay, Plymouth in Devon and in Truro and St Austell in Cornwall.

A statement from the company said County Garages ‘has a long-standing reputation for excellence, with a history of strong performance and award-winning customer satisfaction’ and added that both businesses share many of the same values.

Managing director Nick Vosper said: “The acquisition of County Garages represents a major milestone in our long-term growth strategy.

“We are fortunate this opportunity arose in the Barnstaple area and delighted to welcome this outstanding business and its excellent team into the Vospers family. County Garages will bring new and an excellent foundation to expand our footprint in Devon and Cornwall.”

Vospers said it recognised ‘the acquisition comes in a period of economic challenges’ but said it reflected Vospers’ confidence in the region and the desirability of the County Garages operation.

Nick, chairman Peter Vosper and key Vospers directors have already met the County team and both organisations are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for staff, customers and partners.

Peter added: “I would like to thank the previous owners, Nick and Andy in particular, for their help and Nick Vosper and fellow directors at Vospers for all their efforts in adding this further opportunity to the Vospers group.”

Vospers represents a wide range of automotive brands including Ford, Mazda, Omoda and Jaecoo, Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo.