Historic Scottish Ford dealer gears up for EV switch with ‘new era’ Chinese trio
One of Scotland’s leading motor industry figures is ushering in an “exciting new era” for the business he founded more than four decades ago after taking on a trio of fast-growing Chinese car brands offering “big appeal” to budget-conscious buyers.
The move sees motor dealership heavyweight Peoples, which was set up by its chairman Brian Gilda in 1983, end its 42 years of Ford exclusivity to facilitate growth. The group, which will still represent the famous US motor-maker alongside Chinese disruptors BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo, operates half a dozen dealerships in Scotland and around the Liverpool area. It expects to complete the phased introduction of the new brands by early 2025.
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Gilda, who is a founder director of the Retail Automotive Alliance independent purchasing group, described the ending of the Ford exclusivity as a “tough decision to make”.
He said: “At the end of the day, Ford had rationalised their product line and we had to find the product that would give us volume application across our locations. BYD is a good product, properly priced and people like it. They have an appeal in terms of looks and a big appeal in terms of price.
“The big player now is China. Much as a lot of people don’t like it, that’s what’s going to influence the world going forward. We hope that it will be a positive influence rather than a negative one.”
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Hide AdIn Scotland, the Edinburgh Peoples dealership will offer Ford cars and commercial vehicles, including the best-selling Transit van, as well as Omoda and Jaecoo - both part of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery - and there are plans to invest in a dedicated, flagship showroom to showcase the new brands in the capital. Livingston will remain with Ford while Falkirk will be solely Omoda/Jaecoo.


In the north-west of England, Bootle will offer Ford cars and commercial vehicles as well as BYD, Speke will represent Ford plus Omoda/Jaecoo, and Prescott will have Ford cars and BYD.
Gilda, whose daughter Nicola oversees the operational side of the business, outlined the plans as the latest accounts for Peoples Limited showed that overall turnover had fallen by 7.6 per cent to just over £283.4 million in the 12 months to the end of July, compared with the year before. Profit before taxation and preference share dividends was down by almost a third, from £7.67m to £5.15m.
In their report, the directors noted that the new car market remained weak, with the UK government’s requirement to transition to pure electric vehicles causing “market volatility”. Under the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, at least 22 per cent of vehicles sold this year must be zero emission, with the target expected to hit 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
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Hide AdGilda said ministers were being “lobbied all the time” to see if those quotas could be adjusted, while many motorists remained cautious about taking their first step into the EV world.
Ford’s decision to stop production of the Fiesta, which frequently topped the UK sales charts, and go “all in” on electric vehicles has also proved to be challenging, Peoples - ranked 57th by turnover in the UK Automotive Top 100 - noted in the accounts. The US giant is proposing to end production of the popular Focus model at some point during 2025.
Gilda, who remains “well involved” with the business, said he “could feel the tears running down my cheeks” when the last Ford Fiesta rolled off the assembly line last year, marking the end of an era for a model that sold 22 million vehicles globally. Highlights from Peoples’ Ford passenger car range include the Puma - now Britain’s top selling car - as well as the all-electric Ford Explorer and the new all-electric Ford Capri.
Gilda was critical of the recent UK Budget and, in particular, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £25 billion raid on employers’ national insurance contributions, with the rate rising by 1.2 percentage points to 15 per cent from next April, and with payments starting when an employee earns £5,000, down from the current £9,100.
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Hide Ad“I don’t like the Budget,” he said. “It’s a real bitter pill to swallow. This has cost me £450,000 straight off. We immediately said that we will have a moratorium on employment. There are things that we will just stop doing as a consequence of this. It is hopeless for small businesses and they are the bedrock of everything that we do.”
The group’s headcount held steady at just over 350 during the year under review and its chairman said he hoped that pattern would be repeated in the current period.
“Change, or becoming different, is fundamental to our wellbeing and long-term success, and we are excited by the growth opportunities our new Chinese partnerships will bring,” added Gilda. “These brands are industry leaders and it speaks volumes that they chose us to represent them.
“While it’s disappointing to see our figures down, it’s certainly not surprising - a similar pattern is being seen across the industry. Ford passenger vehicle results were down partly due to reductions across the Ford passenger car line-up, while used car sales were badly affected by a rollercoaster ride of values.
“However, our commercial vehicle results were outstanding and our aftersales results were record-breaking.”
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