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South east dealer goes for rapid expansion

KENT Peugeot and Vauxhall dealer Clifford has expanded from two sites to five within a week.

It has opened a Vauxhall satellite and bought a Peugeot main dealership and satellite for an undisclosed sum.

Last Monday, Clifford opened a satellite in Rochester, featuring a MasterFit fast fit operation and Network Q used car business, to its Gravesend Vauxhall dealership.

And, five days earlier, the family-owned business bought Dartford Peugeot dealership KT and its satellite at Northfleet. All businesses are already trading as Clifford, which already has a Peugeot dealership at Sidcup.

Director Jeremy Clifford said KT, which had been in receivership for 12 weeks, was wanting for leadership and motivation, “but we can supply that”.

All 60 KT staff are being kept on.

Clifford has also promoted Hussein Ramadan to director of sales across its three Peugeot sites; Ramadan had been sales manager at the Sidcup outlet. Richard Knightly, who joined KT as general manager and sales manager at the Dartford site earlier this year, remains in place.

Ian Barlow has been made director with overall responsibility for the group’s two Vauxhall sites; he had been general manager at the Gravesend outlet.

Clifford was established in 1910 and, before the KT acquisition, had a turnover of £30m, selling 2,000 new cars yearly.

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