Lookers
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| Public limited company | |
| Traded as | : |
| Industry | Car Sales |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Headquarters | Stretford, Manchester, United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Phil White (Chairman) Andy Bruce (CEO) |
| Products | Vehicles |
| Revenue | £3,649.1 million (2015) |
| £80.9 million (2015) | |
| £50.8 million (2015) | |
| Website | www |
Lookers is a car dealership chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It represents many motor brands and is based in Stretford, Manchester. It is listed on the .
The Lookers Group was established in 1908, by John Looker. It was based in Manchester, and dealt with the sale of bicycles, parts, accessories. In 1910, the business joined forces, to create Lookers Ltd. Until World War I, Lookers Ltd was primarily a Ford dealer, which thrived to such an extent. In 1911, the garage in Hardman Street had to be completely rebuilt, to accommodate the business generated by Ford.
In 1918, the business was appointed a distributor of Austin Motor Company. It continued to grow throughout Lancashire and Cheshire, through the acquisition of a number of garages. Lookers and Austin became very closely associated such that the slogan "Lookers is Austin" lasted for many years. The business continued to prosper until World War II, in 1939. This was when the Austin factory was committed to the war effort, and there were hard times throughout the country. In the 1960s, the first major acquisition occurred, when the group moved into Yorkshire.
In 1973, the group's headquarters were transferred to Chester Road, where they remain to this day, and the company became a listed company on the . Issuing shares on the stock exchange created extra funds, which then enabled the company to take its first major steps towards expansion.
Lookers strengthened its Vauxhall dealerships, with the acquisition of Braid Group, a major dealership group based in Liverpool, for £3 million. The purchase was completed in 1983. By December 1984, the first full year including Braid, the company's sales topped £150 million.
In 1989, an important purchase came, when it acquired SMAC Continental, based in South East England, for £14.7 million. That purchase also added SMAC's Mercedes-Benz dealerships to Lookers portfolio of manufacturers.
In 1996 Looks bought Charles Hurst Group, a dealership in Northern Ireland.
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Wikipedia