Vertu Motors becomes UK's largest BMW motorcycle retailer

Automotive retailer Vertu Motors said on Tuesday that it has bought two BMW motorcycle outlets for £4.2m.

Vertu bought the business and assets of two outlets in Yorkshire from Saltaire Motor Company Limited, which trades as Allan Jefferies, making it the largest BMW Motorrad motorcycle retailer in the UK.

The outlets purchased are located in Shipley, near Bradford, and Rotherham. The business will be rebranded to trade under the Vertu name from the outset and will become part of the Vertu Motorcycles division, which will operate six motorcycle outlets across Motorrad and Honda.

For the year ended 29 September 2021, the business achieved revenue of £20.5m and an operating profit of £463,000.

Due to the seasonality of motorcycle sales, Vertu said the business is expected to contribute a small loss for the remaining four months of the financial year and to be earnings-enhancing in its first full year of ownership.

Vertu chief executive Robert Forrester said: "Our business is performing strongly and the addition of two further BMW Motorrad outlets will be accretive both financially and strategically to the group."

BMW Motorrad is the motorcycles brand of BMW Group. In the full year 2021, it was the UK market leader in the 'big bikes' category with a 16.6% market share. Vertu currently operates one Motorrad outlet in Sunderland which it acquired in 2020.