Simon Allan.
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Used vehicle consultancy · UK motor retail

Turning used car departments into profit engines.

35+ years in UK motor retail, most recently running a £250m used vehicle operation across 37 dealerships. I help dealer groups fix underperforming used car businesses — from stock and sourcing to valuation, process and people.

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£250m+
annual used vehicle turnover managed
14,000
retail units a year at peak, across 13 brands
£1,300+
average metal profit per unit
<30 days
average stock age group-wide — often under 20 at peak
How I can help

Practical expertise across the whole used car lifecycle.

Hands-on support for franchised and independent dealer groups, investors and acquirers — as an advisor, project lead or interim director.

01

Used car turnaround

Diagnose and fix underperforming used vehicle departments — P&L, pricing, stock turn and team performance.

02

Sourcing & remarketing

Build buying strategies and wholesale disposal channels that keep the right stock coming in and the wrong stock moving out.

03

Stock valuation & audit

Monthly revaluation and audit processes, plus full vehicle asset revaluations for year-end accounts and external audit.

04

M&A asset valuation

Appraisal, valuation and transfer of vehicle assets on dealership acquisitions and disposals — then integration into group process.

05

Multi-site process design

Harmonise used car policy and procedure across many sites and franchises, so every business unit runs to one standard.

06

Suppliers & board reporting

Negotiate vehicle data, provenance and market intelligence contracts, and present used vehicle performance at board level.

Track record

Built it, scaled it, ran it.

Nineteen years at Cambria Automobiles, building the group used vehicle function from inception into one of the business's core profit centres.

3×
Used car turnover tripled in eight years
Integrating acquired dealerships into Cambria policy and procedure after the 2006 Summit acquisition.
37
Business units across 13 brands
Volume and premium franchises run to one harmonised group standard.
7,500+
Retail units sourced every year
Alongside 5,000–7,500 wholesale disposals a year, run with two divisional buyers.
Every
Acquisition and disposal valued
Plus twice-yearly revaluation of all vehicle assets for external audit, and full revaluations for the SOGO leasing division.
Approach

Hands-on, with a strong team ethic.

I started on the forecourt as a sales executive in 1987 and have worked in every part of the used car business since — from opening new-build used car operations to sitting on operational boards of a listed group.

That experience spans PLCs and large private groups, volume and premium franchises. I know what a broken used car department looks like, and I know how to fix one: tight stock control, honest valuation, disciplined sourcing and a team that owns the numbers.

Experience

Nearly four decades in UK motor retail.

2020 – 2026
Group Used Car Director
Cambria Automobiles Holdings Ltd
2007 – 2020
Group Used Car Manager
Cambria Automobiles Holdings Ltd
2000 – 2007
Group Used Car Manager
Summit Motors Investments Ltd (part of Sumitomo Corporation)
1998 – 2000
CMA Used Car Manager
Pendragon PLC (Stripestar) — four North London sites
1997 – 1998
Store Manager
Carland — recruited to launch a new used car supermarket
1987 – 1997
Sales Executive to Sales Manager
Perry Group PLC — opened and ran a new-build Toyota used car operation

Education: BA (Hons) Anthropology, University of Sussex · St Paul's School, London

Let's talk

Is your used car business leaving money on the table?

An initial conversation is free. Tell me where things stand and I'll tell you honestly where I can help.

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Based in Twickenham, London · working UK-wide
© 2026 Simon Allan
Used vehicle consultancy for UK dealer groups