Our History

The 20-year journey to CarSupermarket.com

Read the timeline below to find out how Motor Depot Ltd - after being incorporated on the 5th of November, 2001 by Philip Wilkinson, a Hull-born 26-year-old with sales management experience at a number of local dealerships - went on a 20-year journey to become CarSupermarket.com

2002

Motor Depot launches its first car supermarket site in Hull

Motor Depot officially opens its first retail site in Clarence Street, East Hull, with just a handful of staff. Boasting a service and prep centre, the site - formerly part of the Dixon Motors empire - stocks up to 250 vehicles and helps introduce Hull to the concept of an independent 'car supermarket' where the best deals are available on a wide array of nearly new vehicles from a variety of manufacturers.

2004

Motor Depot opens a second site in Hessle

Buoyed by its successful start-up in Hull, Motor Depot opens its next car supermarket in new premises at nearby Hessle in the shadow of the Humber Bridge. Conveniently located off the A63 dual carriageway, the highly-visible six-acre site boasts the capacity to stock over 600 vehicles whilst housing state-of-the-art servicing and MOT facilities. The move creates over 40 new jobs and significantly raises Motor Depot’s profile in the local area.

2009

BestCarBuyer is launched

Motor Depot becomes one of the first car supermarkets to launch its own dedicated car-buying service under the banner of ‘BestCarBuyer'. The online platform helps introduce a new level of speed and convenience to the car selling process, whilst also providing Motor Depot with a new avenue of sourcing stock from the public.

2012

InterestFree4Cars is launched

InterestFree4Cars is created, advertising a range of cars all offered at 0% APR with the intention of making the car-financing process as simple, transparent and easy to understand as possible. With no interest rates involved, the price advertised is the total price paid by the customer with no interest costs.

2013

Flood damage and recovery

The company's Hessle site becomes one of the highest-profile casualties of a freak east coast tidal surge, with extensive flood damage causing the 'write off’ of around 700 vehicles in existing stock. Despite the crushing setback, Motor Depot bounces back within a matter of months, bigger and better than before, with a fully refurbished facility, refreshed branding and new dynamism.

2014

New Scunthorpe site is opened

Motor Depot acquires a whopping 5.8-acre site on the fringes of Scunthorpe town centre for its next car supermarket with the capacity to stock over 500 vehicles alongside state-of-the-art preparation, servicing and MOT facilities. The new site provides convenient access to the M180 and M18 motorways, thus opening up the brand to the wider Lincolnshire region. In all, 40 new positions are created as a result.

2014

Motor Depot expands to Birmingham

Following the success of its Scunthorpe expansion, Motor Depot breaks new ground by bringing the car supermarket concept to Birmingham with the acquisition of a 3.75 acre site close to the city’s airport. Capable of housing over 400 vehicles, the premises offer service and preparation facilities whilst providing convenient access to the M6 and M42 motorways. This well-received expansion creates another 40 new jobs.

2015

New site opened in Grimsby

Motor Depot bolsters its strong presence in the Humber region by snapping up a new showroom close to Grimsby town centre. Though the smallest car supermarket in the portfolio so far, the new facility - formerly occupied by Godfrey Auto Parts - boasts a prominent roadside location and is capable of stocking over 150 vehicles alongside hosting a service and prep centre. This moves creates 25 new positions.

2017

Worksop acquisition restarts expansion programme

Following a year of ‘consolidation’, Motor Depot’s car supermarket expansion programme clicks back into gear with the opening of a new 200-car site in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. Providing convenient access to both the A1(M) and M1 motorways, the facility’s opening creates over 20 new jobs and consists of a showroom, external display area and a state-of-the-art service centre.

2017

New head office established in Hessle

A new head office is acquired on the Priory Park business estate in Hessle, East Yorkshire, with the aim of bringing all of the company’s growing accounts, admin and marketing teams under one roof. The move also delivers space for Motor Depot to significantly expand its telesales operations with the creation of a number of new jobs.

2017

Motor Depot expands northwards to Newcastle

Motor Depot expands its ever-growing footprint northwards by opening a seventh car supermarket on the Vroom Car Retail Park in North Tyneside. The purpose-built centre has room to display over 400 cars alongside a 10,000 square foot service and car preparation centre, making Motor Depot the largest trader within the Northumberland Estates-owned retail park. Though officially situated at the junction of the A19 in North Shields, the site is marketed as ’Newcastle’ and its opening creates another 40 new positions.

2018

CarSupermarket.com is established

CarSupermarket.com is launched as an all-new, online platform devoted to delivering the most convenient car-buying experience imaginable. Offering an easy-to-use filter facility, and a simple ‘click and deliver’ service to all parts of the UK, the website quickly gains traction in the digital marketplace.

2018

New purpose-built site opens in Barnsley

Motor Depot opens one of the most prestigious car supermarkets in its portfolio with the acquisition of a brand new retail site located on the Dearne Valley Parkway in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The purpose-built premises - which include an impressive 75,000 square foot of internal space alongside servicing and preparation facilities - is capable of accommodating over 400 vehicles and is conveniently located off junction 36 of the M1. Another 40 new positions are created as a result of this venture.

2018

Vehicle preparation centre opened in Goole

In order to accelerate further growth, Motor Depot opens a mammoth four-acre vehicle preparation centre in Goole, East Yorkshire, with the capacity to hold around 500 vehicles. Boasting no fewer than 40 vehicle ramps, a 30-bay valeting area and 5 MOT stations, the facility also houses state-of-the-art vehicle photography suites and helps ensure that all vehicles are mechanically and aesthetically prepared to the highest standards. This endeavour delivers a significant jobs boost to the area with the creation of close to 100 new positions.

2018

Stoke site becomes fifth acquisition inside 12 months

Motor Depot strengthens its presence in the wider Midlands region by acquiring an existing dealership site in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - its fifth acquisition inside 12 months. The 3.5 acre outlet had previously traded as Platts Garages and all existing Platts employees are transferred over as part of the deal. The new car supermarket is capable of housing around 400 vehicles alongside a dedicated service area.

2018

Sheffield site added to the portfolio

Complimenting the recently opened car supermarket in Barnsley, a new three-acre site close to the M1 in Sheffield is added to the growing Motor Depot portfolio as the company strategically strengthens its presence in South Yorkshire. The existing premises undergo major refurbishment to accommodate space for over 300 vehicles alongside all the usual servicing facilities. Another new 40 positions are created.

2019

Preston site breaks new ground

Motor Depot makes a long-desired first incursion into Lancashire with the acquisition of new premises in Preston. The three-acre Port Way site offers stunning views of Preston Marina and delivers space for up to 300 cars in concert with dedicated servicing facilities. Conveniently located close to the M6, M55 and M65 motorways, the company’s most westerly car supermarket delivers another 30 new jobs and helps open up the brand to a new customer base in the North West.

2019

Hull preparation centre opens

In order to support dramatic growth, a second dedicated vehicle preparation centre is opened in the Sutton Fields area of Hull. The new three-acre premises deliver much needed storage space for over 400 vehicles. As a result of the venture, a further 30 new jobs are created.

2019

Barnsley, Newcastle and Stoke sites rebranded as ‘CarSupermarket.com’

Due to the roaring success of the CarSupermarket.com digital platform, a decision is taken to rebadge some of the more exclusive Motor Depot showrooms under the banner of CarSupermarket.com. The sites at Barnsley, Newcastle and Stoke are the first to benefit from a well-received rebranding operation.

2020

Hessle and Preston sites rebranded as ‘CarSupermarket.com’

With the recent rebrand yielding positive results at other sites, it’s quickly decided to rebadge the flagship showroom at Hessle and the recently acquired outlet at Preston as CarSupermarket.com sites too.

2020

New Lincoln site is opened

New premises in Lincoln are opened under the CarSupermarket banner after a 2.4-acre site, formerly belonging to 'Car Store’, is acquired in the heart of the city. The acquisition helps consolidate the company’s presence in the wider Lincolnshire region and offers space to stock up to 300 vehicles alongside fully refurbished servicing and prep facilities. The move eventually creates 25 new positions after a Covid 19-delayed opening.

2021

Birmingham site is rebranded as ‘CarSupermarket.com’

The site at Birmingham becomes the seventh in the Motor Depot portfolio to be rebranded under the CarSupermarket.com banner.

2022

The journey is complete as all remaining sites are rebranded as ‘CarSupermarket.com’

With all sites performing well under the rebrand, the decision is taken to rebadge all remaining outlets under the CarSupermarket.com banner. The 20-year journey from Motor Depot to CarSupermarket.com is complete!

2022

Brand New £2.5m Preparation Centre Opens in Hull

Following a £2.5m investment, a second Preparation Centre was opened in Hull in December. This 4,800-square metre vehicle preparation centre is part of our long-term investment in the city where our business first started.

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