John Clark Motor Group (JCMG), one of Scotland's leading motor retail groups, has reported turnover of £1.065billion for the year ended December 31 2025.
This is the third year in a row that the group has traded above the £1billion mark. Net assets rose again to £126 million, and the group remains ranked among the top twenty motor retail groups in the UK.
2025 was a year of significant disruption across the motor trade. The April 2025 increase in employer National Insurance contributions raised the group's National Insurance costs by 13%, adding to its fixed costs, and the challenge of recruiting and keeping workshop technicians pushed up wage costs across the industry. From September onwards, the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover's IT systems disrupted new vehicle supply across their dealer network, including the group's Land Rover dealerships. At the same time, used car prices fell sharply in the closing months of the year.
Alongside these external challenges, the costs of relocating, developing and opening new franchises added further pressure to the cost base, although these investments are already contributing positively in 2026. Against that backdrop, the group delivered a profit before tax of £12.9million (2024: £19.0million) and EBITDA of £28.3 million (2024: £33.7 million). It ended the year with cash at bank of £21.9million (2024: £20.0million) and a strong, highly liquid balance sheet. The group has since returned to growth, with profit before tax for the first half of 2026 ahead of the same period last year.
Resilient trading across the business
Aftersales revenue rose 6% to £110.4million, and the Service, Accident Repair and Parts departments all turned in robust results. Used vehicle sales were broadly stable at 19,475 units. New vehicle sales fell 5% to 14,641 units, reflecting the Land Rover supply disruption as well as the relocation and restructuring of the group's Volkswagen Group franchises. Strong customer demand for the group's new Chinese manufacturer brands helped to offset part of that fall. A renewed focus on operating costs also delivered savings during the year.
Continued investment and expansion
JCMG kept investing throughout the year:
- In March 2025, the group relocated and expanded its Skoda, SEAT, CUPRA and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles operations in Dundee into a multi-brand Volkswagen Group centre. The Volkswagen passenger car franchise joined the brands represented at the site in February 2026. The group believes that this centre could set the standard for such sites across the UK.
- In October 2025, JCMG acquired Hawco & Sons Limited. The deal added six franchises: three Volkswagen, one Audi, one Skoda and one Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
- Three BYD franchises opened in Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness, and three Geely franchises opened in Edinburgh, Stirling and Dundee during the year. Two Changan franchises have already been added in Edinburgh and Stirling in 2026, with further opportunities being explored.
- The group bought freehold sites in Stirling, to relocate its Land Rover franchise, and in Dundee, to expand with MG, BYD and Geely. It also sold two surplus properties in Perth and Dundee.
Including the added dealerships, the group employed an average of 1,446 people during 2025, and headcount was approaching 1,600 by the end of the year. JCMG continued to invest heavily in staff training, in-house management development and apprenticeships.
Chris Clark, Group Managing Director of John Clark Motor Group
Chris Clark, Group Managing Director of John Clark Motor Group, said: “I could not be prouder of our team. 2025 threw a great deal at us: a tough economy, falling used car values, and the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover, which hit vehicle supply to our Land Rover customers just as the busy September registration plate-change period got under way. Through all of it, our people stayed focused on our customers. They kept our workshops and showrooms running, and they welcomed new colleagues and new brands into the family. To stay above £1 billion in turnover and to strengthen our balance sheet again in those circumstances is a credit to every one of them. We head into the balance of 2026 with confidence and momentum.”
Outlook
JCMG's balance sheet and liquidity have continued to strengthen in 2026. Building work is under way on the new Land Rover site in Stirling and the refurbishment of Land Rover Perth. Both will be among the first in the UK to adopt Land Rover's new House of Brands identity. The group has also bought a freehold site in Aberdeen for in-house vehicle storage, and it continues to explore how technology, including artificial intelligence, can make its processes more efficient.