1 of the UK’s most significant vehicle retailers, Pendragon, has announced that it will sell all of its vehicle dealerships for £280 million and shift its concentrate to computer software. The selection ended a tumultuous period for the business, for the duration of which its biggest shareholder obstructed attempts to sell it.
American group Lithia, which currently operates 50 web sites in the UK, has been named as the purchaser of Pendragon’s showrooms. Final summer season, Lithia attempted to invest in Pendragon outright with a £460m bid. Nonetheless, this provide was blocked by Hedin, Pendragon’s biggest investor from Sweden.
In response, final fall, Hedin attempted to invest in Pendragon, but was met with resistance. A buyout by Lithia will only demand an outright majority of Pendragon shareholders to approve, creating it a lot more difficult for Hedin to sabotage the deal, as he owns significantly less than a third of Pendragon.