Arnold gets another one

[neelyp]

cas20 said:

alangla said:

Wonder if Phoenix have sorted out their MoT situation yet - I tried to book my bike into the Stirling branch last month, but apparently they could only do servicing, not MoTs, they were using an indie elsewhere in Springkerse for their bike MoT work. Bit of a surprise for a Honda main dealer.

Looks like Phoenix have ditched the Honda Motorcycles franchise in Stirling. It is gone from their website and the Honda site.

Don't think so.
http://www.phoenixcar.co.uk/honda-motorcycles/

[cas20]

They have taken all references to bikes from their homepage and according to that link only have one used bike for sale. Honda website has no mention of phoenix motorcycles any more either. I imagine it is the winding down of the motorcycle franchise.

[HendryG]

Looks like Lookers have already followed up on their previous comments about expanding in Scotland, the take over of Benfield has given them the VW dealership in Dumfries in amongst all the English sites they've acquired.

Always wonderd why Arnie never does big buyouts like that, it tends to just be smaller groups like John R Weir, Ness Motors or Harry Fairbairns or individual dealerships.

[neelyp]

cas20 said:

They have taken all references to bikes from their homepage and according to that link only have one used bike for sale. Honda website has no mention of phoenix motorcycles any more either. I imagine it is the winding down of the motorcycle franchise.

It looks like you're correct.
That leaves Jim Allan in Falkirk as the only bike dealer in Stirlingshire.

[alangla]

I was past earlier in the week & the Honda wing emblems are still on the entry signs under the capital H badges, but the upper floor windows on the showroom all appear to be blanked out.

[cas20]

Western Nissan Facebook SDM are closing, so our Stirling showroom will become the nearest Nissan dealer

I assume they mean that the Nissan dealership is closing as opposed to SDM as a whole. They survived one more new plate than Arnold but the writing had been on the wall for SDM Nissan

[cas20]

Also West End have closed their Uphall Skoda used site. It had been their original site!

[HendryG]

cas20 said:

Also West End have closed their Uphall Skoda used site. It had been their original site!

I think this was on the cards from when they took over Chatham's at Sighthill and Dunfermline and the Uphall site went from a full Skoda site/new sales dealership to used cars and service/repair only site.

Does the recent changes in the Skoda franchise in Scotland leave Henry's at Kyle Street and Ingram's in Ayr as the only "independents" left?

I'm racking my brains and West End run Sighthill, Dunfermline and Stirling. Arnold run Inverness, Seafield and Linwood. John Clark run Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth. Parks run Hamilton.

[cas20]

Border Motor Group in Dumfries and the Borders (Lawries) ???

[imagineifyeswill]

Anyone know if theres any truth in the rumour that Arnold Clarks have bought out Hawcos in Inverness.

[750turbo]

imagineifyeswill said:

Anyone know if theres any truth in the rumour that Arnold Clarks have bought out Hawcos in Inverness.

Not heard a thing, yet.

[imagineifyeswill]

The rumours been rife around Inverness for the last week.

[cas20]

Looks like Struans have taken the Peugeot Dundee Franchise currently held by Barnetts

[ituned]

I think you'll find it's more like Barnetts have been trying to move out of Peugeot for a while, to allow their expansion of new Mazda and Volvo showrooms.

[cas20]

Exactly, as I said Struan's have taken the franchise that Barnett's held- said nothing about who dropped who.

[D_T_W]

neelyp said:

cas20 said:

alangla said:

Wonder if Phoenix have sorted out their MoT situation yet - I tried to book my bike into the Stirling branch last month, but apparently they could only do servicing, not MoTs, they were using an indie elsewhere in Springkerse for their bike MoT work. Bit of a surprise for a Honda main dealer.

Looks like Phoenix have ditched the Honda Motorcycles franchise in Stirling. It is gone from their website and the Honda site.

Don't think so.
http://www.phoenixcar.co.uk/honda-motorcycles/

They have. Honda also pulled the franchise from Cupar Motorcycles in Perth, now to be run by Ecosse Motorcycles at a new facility in Dundee in combination with a Yamaha showroom

[neelyp]

D_T_W said:

neelyp said:

cas20 said:

alangla said:

Wonder if Phoenix have sorted out their MoT situation yet - I tried to book my bike into the Stirling branch last month, but apparently they could only do servicing, not MoTs, they were using an indie elsewhere in Springkerse for their bike MoT work. Bit of a surprise for a Honda main dealer.

Looks like Phoenix have ditched the Honda Motorcycles franchise in Stirling. It is gone from their website and the Honda site.

Don't think so.
http://www.phoenixcar.co.uk/honda-motorcycles/

They have. Honda also pulled the franchise from Cupar Motorcycles in Perth, now to be run by Ecosse Motorcycles at a new facility in Dundee in combination with a Yamaha showroom

I noticed that, Perth Motorcycles are now Scotland's MV Agusta dealer.
Leaves Honda dealerships a bit sparse with Two Wheels in Edinburgh, the one in Dundee your talking about and two I think in Glasgow.

[750turbo]

neelyp said:

I noticed that, Perth Motorcycles are now Scotland's MV Agusta dealer.
Leaves Honda dealerships a bit sparse with Two Wheels in Edinburgh, the one in Dundee your talking about and two I think in Glasgow.

there is a long established Honda Dealer in Ayr neelyp.

North Harbour Motorcycles.

[HendryG]

Some more Arnold's related news. The Renault/Dacia dealership part of the massive new site at Makro Hillington is now open although the rest of the site seems to still be being worked on. Arnold's website officially confirms its now open.

I was also told by an Arnold's employee, and this may be complete rubbish, Arnold owns that full bit of land including the land Peter Vardy carstore is on, Arnold's have told Vardy once they're open they can't use "their" access road and that Vardy has their site on a short term lease and Arnold's have let them spend money sorting everything out and are going to not let Vardy renew the lease when it's up, but I'd suspect this is nonsense as I doubt Vardy would spend all that money for such a short time in the premises.

The old GTG building at Sighthill in Edinburgh (GTG now relocated to Newbridge or Ratho I think) has been refurbished into a Citroen/DS showroom for Arnold's. And theres been some work going on in what was supposed to be the Chevrolet showroom at the Phoenix in Linwood next door to Vauxhall and the showroom now seems to have a load of Jeep Cherokees and Renegades in it.

Apparently as was originally planned, the Fiat/Abarth dealership at Renfrew Road in Paisley is now not relocating to Hillington as well. Presumably so that Arnold still has some sort of presence in Paisley itself, this being the case I'm not sure why Jeep etc aren't being put in to the non franchised showroom side of the Renfrew Road site as itd surely make more sense all Fiat group brands under one roof than putting them into a Vauxhall site which is an odd combination.

[cas20]

I think that Vardy purchased the land from the administrators of InStyle. I wonder if Arnold is feeling any pressure, I know of three people who have purchased from Macklin recently. Cannot seem to switch on the radio without a Macklin advert.