Scotland's new £6m LR site opens 22 | 02 | 2012
SCOTLAND'S NEWEST LAND ROVER dealership, the £6 million Pentland Land Rover on the outskirts of Edinburgh, has been officially opened. The ceremony at the new dealership — part of the Aberdeen-based John Clark Motor Group — was carried out by Jaguar Land Rover UK's new managing director, Jeremy Hicks.
Pentland Land Rover took over the Land Rover franchise for the whole of Edinburgh and the Lothians in January.
The new dealership, built by Stewart Milne Construction, occupies a 3.45-acre site alongside the M9, west of Edinburgh.
The design makes the most of the site’s location, with a fully-glazed, split-level 12-car showroom offering 180-degree visibility to the motorway.
Because of its location on the flightpath to Edinburgh Airport, the building’s height has been restricted. To maximise the available space, Mackie Ramsay and Taylor Architects incorporated a lower ground floor, with staff facilities and two vehicle handover bays.
See more official photos from the opening
Extending to 30,000 square feet, the new dealership also includes a 14-bay workshop, equipped with the latest service facilities and technology, and a dedicated business centre for customers. Within the site the new dealership has an extensive 70-car used vehicle display along with customer parking.
The expansion of the Pentland Land Rover business has created 17 new jobs, with further opportunities expected as the business develops. A satellite Land Rover Authorised Repairer, to cover the eastern part of Edinburgh and East Lothian, is planned later this year.
“We are delighted that Jeremy Hicks has been with us to mark this opening,"John Clark, chairman and managing director of the John Clark Motor Group, said.
John Clark expands into Perthshire
"The new Pentland Land Rover dealership is a significant development for the John Clark Motor Group and for Jaguar Land Rover as it demonstrates the commitment to provide a quality customer service for Land Rover owners across the whole of Edinburgh and the Lothians.” It was a sentiment shared by Jeremy Hicks, commented:
“The opening of the Pentland dealership is an important step for Land Rover," he said. "This customer-focused investment will mean that both current and future Land Rover owners in this area will be able to get great service and enjoy the best Land Rover experience we have to provide.”
The original Pentland Land Rover dealership in Edinburgh’s Lanark Road opened in 1998, providing Land Rover sales and service for the west of Edinburgh and West Lothian.
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The opening comes just 17 days after the John Clark Motor Group moved into the Perth area for the first time, with the acquisition last month of the Thomson & Potter Skoda dealership.
Based in Aberdeen, the John Clark Motor Group is the fourth largest motortrade group in Scotland with 17 motortrade businesses, a turnover of £300 million and 680 staff.
The group represents BMW, Mini and Audi in Aberdeen and Dundee, Volkswagen in Aberdeen and Fife, Skoda in Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, Seat in Aberdeen, Land Rover in Edinburgh and Volkswagen vans in Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.
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Jim McGill