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Company type | Private |
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Industry | Automotive |
Founded | 1954Glasgow, Scotland | in
Founder | Arnold Clark |
Headquarters | Glasgow, Scotland |
Key people | Eddie Hawthorne [1] (CEO and Group Managing Director) |
Products | Vehicles |
Owner | Arnold Clark & Family |
Number of employees | 11,000 (2020) |
Divisions | The Phoenix Car Company |
Subsidiaries | Arnold Clark Finance Harry Fairbairn |
Website | www |
Arnold Clark is a car dealer based in Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2025 [update] , the company has over 200 dealerships across the United Kingdom, and is one of the largest car dealerships in Europe. [2] Annually, Arnold Clark sells in excess of 300,000 vehicles, and sells new vehicles from over 30 international countries. [3]
The company was founded by Arnold Clark, who opened his first showroom in 1954 in Park Road in Glasgow. In 1963, Arnold Clark Finance was launched. [4] In the 1960s the company began rental vehicles and in 1968 took over Grant, Melrose and Tennant giving the company an accident repair centre. [5]
Clark took over other motor businesses such as the Glasgow dealership McHarg, Rennie and Lindsay. Clark's biggest branch was gained through the takeover of Ross of Lochrin in Edinburgh. [6] By 1989, there were twenty two Arnold Clark branches across Central Scotland and one in England. The rental part of the business now had 1400 rental cars and 350 light commercial vehicles. [7] The company also had vehicle contract hire operations in Liverpool and Sheffield. [8] In December 1989, he gained a further 13 dealerships in the North East of Scotland, with the purchase of Ron Hutcheson Motors Ltd. [5] [9] This took the number of people employed by the company to 1300. [8]
In 1994, the company opened its first site in England, in Liverpool. [10] In 1996, Clark agreed deal for site and assets of Glasgow-based H Prosser and Sons Ltd, unaware that the company was imminently to be put into receivership. [11] By May 2002, Arnold Clark had 97 dealerships and with annual sales expected to reach £1 billion, with a claim to be Scotland's largest private company [12] although Grampian Country Foods recorded larger sales for the four years following this. [13]
In December 2003, Arnold Clark acquired the training company GTG. [14] By the end of that year, the company employed 6,000 people and operated more than 120 showrooms across the United Kingdom. [15] In April 2005, the company paid a first dividend to the family trust family that it is co owned by. [16]
In May 2006, the company acquired the BMW and MINI specialist Harry Fairbairn, which had dealerships in Giffnock and Irvine. [17] In August 2006, the company opened a car showroom in the regenerated Glasgow Harbour, Europe's largest. [18] By November 2007, it was approaching a £2 billion turnover. [19] In June 2007, it overtook Grampian Country Foods to again become Scotland's biggest private company. [20]
With the announcement of the Vehicle scrappage scheme in August 2009, Arnold Clark expected to create 700 jobs. [21]
By September 2012, the company was expanding through the acquisition of other dealerships. Fleet sales still accounted for a relatively small proportion of the company's business. [22] The takeover of the Weir group in September 2012 also saw the company expand into the market of Mercedes-Benz. [23] Acquisitions also included a site near Aberdeen, and a dealership and bodyshop in Blackpool. [24]
2014 was their sixtieth year of trading and this was marked with the company’s turnover reaching almost £3 billion, with a rise in used car sales partly responsible. [25] They were involved with the 2014 Commonwealth Games as a partner organisation, helping look after the fleet of official vehicles. [26]
In February 2015, the company undertook a rebranding of their buildings. [27] In 2015, the company took over Ness Motors in Inverness, Elgin and Perth. [28] By September 2016, the company had 200 dealerships and 24 franchises, with a staff of 10,000. [29] Arnold Clark never retired from the company, remaining as chairman until his death on 10 April 2017, at the age of 89. [5]
On 31 January 2019, Arnold Clark completed their takeover of The Phoenix Car Company. Phoenix was a family-run car retail group established in 1993, with dealerships of Kia, Hyundai, Honda, SsangYong and Mazda.
In 2022, in partnership with the FA, the Arnold Clark Cup was founded; an invitational international women’s football tournament hosted in England.
In December 2007, the company's Botanic Gardens Garage was designated a category A listed building. [30] It had been built before 1912. [31] The company had plans to demolish the building but later withdrew their plans, and in April 2014, one planning application was granted to convert it into a gym. [32]
The company has a purpose-built head office in Hillington which houses a dealership of Renault, this was completed in 2016. [33]
In October 2009, the company won the "Glasgow Business Award" for Apprentice Employer of the Year. [34]
In May 2016, the company's marketing department was named 'In-House Marketing Team of the Year' at The Drum Awards 2016. [35]
In 2022, the company won Dealer Group of the Year as well as Retailer of the Year at the Automotive Management 2022 Awards. [36] [ citation needed ]