Brief History of the Business and Current Operations
Underwoods Motor Group is the largest privately owned company in north Essex with twenty-five years experience of retailing new and used cars.
Our dealerships, equipment and systems are the most modern available and we are constantly investing in the latest technology to give our customers the best experience of the brands of cars we represent.
In 1982 Underwoods began trading in the village location of Church Road, Tiptree. This site enjoyed considerable success selling and servicing Vauxhall cars and quickly became associated with quality, reliability and value for money. In 2005, we were appointed the Ford franchise for the local area offering our customers these two popular makes.
In 1995, Underwoods expanded with the purchase of a Ford dealership on Mersea Island. After extensive alterations to the dealership this site was granted in addition, authorised repairer status for Vauxhall. We are proud to be able to offer both these services and represent ourselves as Mersea’s local garage.
In 1998, Underwoods arrived in Colchester with its biggest acquisition to date, the purchase of the former Cowies Vauxhall dealership on Ipswich Road. This prime location needed substantial investment for it to meet the exacting standards of the other sites. The two year refurbishment programme transformed the outdated exterior and interior of the building into a dealership to be proud of.
Gerry Wiggins, Managing Director was quick to develop opportunities presented by the motor trade and is both passionate and dedicated to expanding the business and securing the long term future of the company.
In 2001, Underwoods continued to grow with the acquisition of the Vauxhall site on Old Road, Clacton. Underwoods are proud to have won many awards and accreditations for their high level of service and it was their focus to establish these standards at this site. Their success and continued commitment at this Vauxhall dealership enabled them to acquire the Renault franchise in 2003 for the local area, offering their customers these two popular makes.
In 2004, the purchase of Lancaster House adjacent to the Vauxhall site on Ipswich Road, Colchester took place. This again was a huge re-development project and after extensive building works was transformed into a dual franchise for Mazda and Skoda.
2006 saw two further acquisitions. In January Underwoods acquired the Peugeot dealership on Wimpole Road, Colchester adding a new marque to their growing portfolio and in February, the purchase of the Vauxhall and Peugeot dealership on Cornard Road, Sudbury.
Underwoods are very proud of their present dealership structure of six manufacturers operating from seven locations. However, things have certainly not slowed down for 2007. The Commercial Vehicle and Business centre on Severalls Lane, Colchester will officially open in May. This centre will specialise in assisting local businesses with commercial vehicle and company car enquiries as well as vehicle repairs.
However despite these developments, Underwoods remains true to its original principles. We have built our reputation on providing courteous, consistent and honest customer service, and we believe this is why our customers have stayed with us over the years.
Underwoods are confident that whatever your motoring needs, we can help!