Cumbrian motor group expands reach and brands with acquisition

Cumbrian motor dealership, Lloyds Motor Group, has acquired a Volkswagen garage, adding 24 jobs to its headcount.

The Carlisle-based company has taken over N&M Walkingshaw, in Workington, for an undisclosed sum.

It said the deal adds the VW brand to its portfolio and further strengthened its position with Kia following the acquisition, which was completed on April 30, resulting in 24 new staff joining the group. Further investment is likely to lead to new roles being created in West Cumbria.

Lloyd Motor Group has always had a strong presence in West Cumbria. It was founded in 1976 with Lloyd Cockermouth BMW, which still operates there alongside Lloyd Cockermouth MINI.

Lloyd Volkswagen and Lloyd Kia will continue to operate from the existing Walkingshaw premises in Lillyhall, Workington.

This further extends the group’s footprint across Cumbria, with Lloyd Kia sites already operating from Carlisle and a new Lloyd Kia South Lakes site under construction in Levens, South Cumbria.

Andy Walkingshaw, Managing Director of Walkingshaw, said: “The business has been part of our family for almost 56 years, and serving our customers in West Cumbria has been a privilege.

“However, with increasing commercial complexity and the market continuing to consolidate, we felt it was the right time to allow a larger group to take the business to the next level.

“I have no doubt Sam and Bryan Lloyd will look after our customers and our fantastic team.”

The acquisition follows a period of significant new car sales growth across both the Volkswagen and Kia brands.

In 2023, Volkswagen was the UK’s largest selling new car brand, growing its market share to 8.5% and selling more than 162,000 new cars.

Kia continued its significant growth across the UK, recording the position of sixth best selling brand, selling more than 107,000 new cars.

Sam Lloyd, Managing Director of Lloyd Motor Group, said: “The two brands represent an exciting opportunity for us. Walkingshaw has been a successful, family-run business for over 50 years, so they feel like a great fit for Lloyd Motor Group in terms of ethos and geography.”

Lloyd Motor Group now employs more than 1,200 people across 10 franchise brands and four in-house brands from locations across the north of England and south of Scotland.