City West Country

What City West Country does

City West Country Limited (CWC) is a privately-owned, multi-brand automotive dealership group headquartered in Exeter, operating across South West England. Founded approximately in 1980 with over 40 years of industry experience, the group represents Mercedes-Benz (passenger cars and vans since 2002), smart (all-electric), BYD (electric and plug-in hybrid), MAXUS (commercial vans, added December 2025), and Chery (launching at Torbay). It operates dedicated showrooms and service centres in four hubs — Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, and Truro — each hosting multiple brand-specific sites, supported by subsidiaries including BYD South West Limited and the Tangelo Used Cars retail network. The company sells new and approved used vehicles, offers comprehensive aftersales servicing, MOT, and repair through trained technicians using genuine OEM parts, and runs the CWC VIP division for bespoke luxury and exotic vehicle sourcing (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, etc.) with short-term hire options.

Revenue mechanics span multiple streams: one-time vehicle sales (new and used across franchised and non-franchised brands), recurring aftersales service revenue, transaction-fee finance and insurance brokering as an FCA-regulated appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited, and subscription-based income through the Motability scheme and CWC VIP luxury hire agreements. GTM is predominantly retail-led via physical showrooms in four cities, supplemented by online reservation, finance application, and part exchange valuation tooling; a separate Mercedes-Benz South West Online channel focuses on fleet and corporate sales. Customer segmentation is hybrid — retail consumers, business/fleet buyers, Motability participants, and high-net-worth individuals — served across price points from entry-level EVs (BYD DOLPHIN SURF from £18,650) to ultra-luxury monthly hire (Bentley Flying Spur from £19,999 + VAT reservation fee).

The business has scaled aggressively in 2024–2026 through geographic and brand expansion: Tangelo opened in Plymouth (December 2024), BYD Taunton showroom (November 2024), BYD Taunton Experience Centre in Orchard Shopping Centre (October 2025), MAXUS joined the portfolio (December 2025), and Tangelo is expanding into Torbay (June 2026) alongside the Chery Torbay launch. The group employs 501–1,000 staff, has no disclosed external investors, and reports FCA registration number 313486 through its compliance partner.

Name

City West Country

Legal name

City West Country Limited

Website

https://citywestcountry.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

City West Country is a privately-owned, multi-brand automotive dealership group operating across South West England, representing Mercedes-Benz, BYD, smart, MAXUS, and Chery through showrooms and service centres in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, and Truro, with used vehicle sales via Tangelo and bespoke luxury sourcing through CWC VIP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sales of new cars (Mercedes-Benz, BYD, smart) and new vans (Mercedes-Benz Vans, MAXUS). The company operates as a franchised dealer for these brands.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Sales of used cars from over 30 manufacturers through CWC Used Cars and Tangelo Used Cars. Stock includes Mercedes-Benz Approved Used, BYD used cars, and Tangelo vehicles.
3. Van Sales: Sales of new and used vans including Mercedes-Benz Vans and MAXUS vehicles. Mercedes-Benz South West has supported Approved Used Vans since 2017 and New Vans since 2024.
4. Servicing, MOT and Repair: Aftersales services including servicing, MOT tests, repairs, and diagnostics for cars and vans. Services provided for Mercedes-Benz, BYD, smart, MAXUS, and other manufacturers through Tangelo Service Centre.
5. Finance and Insurance Brokering: As an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited (FCA regulated), the company acts as a credit broker to introduce customers to finance providers. Commission is received based on fixed fees or percentages of amounts borrowed.
6. CWC VIP Luxury Vehicle Hire: Bespoke vehicle sourcing and short-term luxury vehicle hire (6-12 month agreements) for high-end brands including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, Land Rover, McLaren, Audi RS.
7. Motability Scheme: Partnership with Motability scheme allowing customers to exchange government-funded mobility allowances for new vehicles. BYD South West and smart South West participate in the scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

City West Country operates a multi-brand automotive dealership group in the South West of England, retailing new and approved used passenger cars (Mercedes-Benz, smart, BYD, Chery) and new and used vans (Mercedes-Benz Vans, MAXUS), supported by in-house aftersales servicing, MOT and repairs, FCA-regulated vehicle finance brokering, part exchange, the Motability scheme, and a bespoke luxury and short-term hire vehicle sourcing service (CWC VIP). It runs brand-dedicated showrooms and service centres in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Truro, with over 40 years of trading history.

Product overview

City West Country operates as a multi-brand automotive dealership group in the South West of England, representing Mercedes-Benz (cars and vans), smart (electric vehicles), BYD (electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles), MAXUS (commercial vans), and Chery (upcoming). The group also includes Tangelo Used Cars for quality-checked pre-owned vehicles from multiple manufacturers, and CWC VIP for bespoke luxury vehicle sourcing. Core services include new and used vehicle sales, comprehensive aftersales servicing and MOT, vehicle finance solutions (PCP, HP, PCH, BCH), and part exchange. The group operates dedicated showrooms and service centres in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, and Truro, with over 40 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mercedes-Benz South West: Four Mercedes-Benz showrooms in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, and Truro offering new cars, approved used vehicles, and service/repair/MOT.
• smart South West
• BYD South West
• MAXUS South West
• Tangelo
• CWC VIP

Products and services

• Mercedes-Benz new and approved used vehicles Retail and fleet sales of new and approved used Mercedes-Benz passenger cars across four brand-dedicated showrooms in the South West of England, with integrated aftersales support.
• smart all-electric vehicles Sales and aftersales of smart all-electric vehicles (smart #1, #3, #5) through dedicated smart of Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Truro showrooms, with Motability participation.
• BYD electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles Sales of BYD electric vehicles (DOLPHIN, DOLPHIN SURF, ATTO 2, ATTO 3, SEAL, SEALION 7) and plug-in hybrids (SEAL U DM-i, SEALION 5 DM-i, SEAL 6 DM-i, Ti 7 DM-p) with showrooms in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Truro, plus Motability scheme participation.
• MAXUS commercial vans and vehicles Sales and servicing of new MAXUS commercial vans (DELIVER 7, DELIVER 9), pick-ups (T60 MAX) and the eTERRON 9 electric pick-up, with sales and service operations across Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Truro.
• Chery vehicles (Chery Torbay) Sales of Chery brand vehicles at the Chery Torbay location in Paignton, Devon.
• Mercedes-Benz new and approved used vans Sales of new Mercedes-Benz Vans (from 2024) and approved used Mercedes-Benz Vans (since 2017) for fleet, corporate and retail customers across the South West.
• Tangelo used cars Quality-checked used vehicles from over 30 manufacturers (400+ in stock) with online reservation, finance applications, part-exchange valuations and the Tangelo Service Centre aftersales facility.
• CWC VIP luxury vehicle sourcing and short-term hire Bespoke sourcing of luxury and exotic vehicles for high-net-worth customers, with short-term hire options on premium models (e.g. Mercedes-Benz V300 XLWB from £1,600 + VAT/month, Bentley Flying Spur from £1,659 + VAT/month plus reservation, Lamborghini Urus Performante from £5,000 + VAT/month plus reservation).
• Vehicle servicing, MOT and repairs Aftersales servicing, MOT testing, repairs and diagnostics for Mercedes-Benz, BYD, smart, MAXUS and Tangelo vehicles, performed by manufacturer-trained technicians using genuine parts across the group's South West service centres.
• Vehicle finance (PCP, HP, PCH, BCH) FCA-regulated credit brokering of Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), Hire Purchase (HP), Personal Contract Hire (PCH) and Business Contract Hire (BCH) finance products for new and used vehicles across all brands, with online applications available.
• Motability scheme (BYD and smart) Motability scheme offerings through BYD South West and smart South West, allowing disabled customers to exchange government-funded mobility allowances (DLA, PIP, WPMS, AFIP) for a new EV with insurance for up to 3 drivers, servicing, MOTs, breakdown cover and home charging support bundled in.
• Part exchange vehicle valuation Online and in-person valuation service allowing customers to trade in their current vehicle towards a new or used purchase from any of the group's brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 vehicles in used car stock from 30 manufacturers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Exeter City Football ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 June 2026Exeter City Football Club, in association with Mercedes-Benz South West, for the Rising Stars tournament featuring Lucy Bronze.
• Cricket St Thomas Golf ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026BYD South West sponsoring a Charity Golf Day at Cricket St Thomas Golf Club supporting Fight Bladder Cancer charity.
• Bosch Car ServicingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Tangelo Used Cars partnered with Bosch Car Servicing to provide high-quality aftersales experience for used car customers.
• Sea Change AtlanticminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 September 2025City West Country sponsored a charity row across the Atlantic by Sea Change Atlantic.
• Truro City Football ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 July 2025Multi-faceted partnership with Truro City FC involving vehicle support and sponsorship for the football club.
• Somerset County Cricket ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2025City West Country announced a new partnership with Somerset County Cricket Club. The partnership involves sponsorship and support for the cricket club, with Mercedes-Benz South West vehicles supporting club activities.
• ITC Compliance LimitedcoreOthersCity West Country and BYD South West are appointed representatives of ITC Compliance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration number 313486). Permitted activities include advising on and arranging general insurance contracts and acting as a credit broker.
• Motability OperationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBYD South West and smart South West participate in the Motability scheme, allowing disabled customers to exchange government-funded mobility allowances for vehicles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marshall Motor Group: Privately-held UK multi-brand dealer group with franchised showrooms for premium and volume marques, plus commercial vehicle divisions. Its mix of premium franchise partnerships and aftersales-led model mirrors CWC's approach.
• Lookers: UK multi-franchise automotive retailer operating across passenger car and commercial vehicle brands with significant aftersales and used car exposure. Lookers' dual focus on volume and premium franchises, plus its own Motability involvement, parallels CWC's positioning.
• Sytner Group: UK premium-focused multi-brand retailer (BMW/ MINI, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Land Rover). Its premium-skewed brand mix and use of Sytner Select for approved used vehicles is highly comparable to CWC's Mercedes-Benz and CWC VIP positioning.
• Vertu Motors: UK-listed multi-brand automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships across multiple regions. Vertu's brand-mix, finance offering (Vertu Motors Finance), and online used car platform (Vertu Motors Plug-in Hybrid & Electric) make it one of the closest UK comparables to City West Country's model.
• Pendragon (now part of Lithia UK): Formerly the UK's largest dealer group, Pendragon operated multi-brand franchises including premium marques with both new and used car operations. Following the Lithia Motors acquisition, it remains a direct competitor in UK franchised auto retail, particularly in used vehicle digital channels.
• JCT600: Privately-owned Yorkshire-based multi-franchise dealer group representing premium and volume brands. Comparable to CWC in scale, private ownership structure, and a similar approach of regional dominance through brand-specific showrooms.

Others

• Auto Trader Group: UK's leading online automotive marketplace. Not a dealer but a key competitive force in used vehicle listings and a channel that CWC uses for inventory distribution (smart, used listings). Tangelo's online reservation model competes in the same customer journey.

Broad incumbents

• Inchcape UK: Global automotive distributor and retailer with a strong UK retail footprint across multiple premium and volume brands. Operates at significantly greater scale than CWC but competes for the same OEM franchise relationships and customer pools.
• Arnold Clark: Largest privately-owned car retailer in the UK with extensive new, used, and aftersales operations across multiple brands. While UK-wide rather than regional, its vertically-integrated model with own-brand finance and large used car inventory parallels CWC's structure.
• Group 1 Automotive UK: US-headquartered automotive retailer with UK operations following the Inchcape UK retail acquisition. Operates multi-brand franchised dealerships across premium and volume brands, providing a broader-incumbent benchmark for CWC's franchise model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CityWestCountry?si=o6gcJzl8hmS10djw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-west-country
• Instagraminstagram.com/citywestcountry
• Facebookfacebook.com/citywestcountry

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City West Country