Wilson and Co

What Wilson and Co does

Wilson and Co is a family-owned UK automotive retail group, founded in 1998 and now operating under the Drayton Motors trading name, headquartered in Grimsby. The group runs ten physical dealerships across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire, representing seven manufacturer brands: Kia, Peugeot, Suzuki, Vauxhall, OMODA, JAECOO, and BYD. Its product offering spans new and used passenger cars, new and used commercial vans from Vauxhall and Peugeot, and a full aftersales suite including servicing, MOT, parts, tyres, and bodyshop work. The group also administers FCA-regulated consumer credit (FRN 308650 and FRN 600180), Motability scheme participation, prepaid service plans, and a 'Drive Now, Pay Later' service payment option.

The business operates a traditional direct-to-consumer dealership model with no proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities disclosed; the group website functions as a vehicle search and marketing layer, while transactions are completed at physical showrooms. Revenue is generated from vehicle unit sales (retail and business), finance commission from third-party providers, and recurring service and parts income. The customer base is horizontally segmented across individual consumers, business/fleet customers, and Motability participants, with FCA-regulated finance intermediation providing an additional commission stream.

The corporate structure comprises three UK private limited companies — Wilson and Co (Motor Sales) Ltd, Wilson and Co (Kia) Ltd, and S Cropley & Co Ltd — all trading as Drayton Motors. No external private equity, venture capital, or public market ownership is indicated. The most strategically significant recent moves have been the addition of three Chinese OEM franchises (BYD, OMODA, JAECOO) to capture UK EV demand, the rebrand to Drayton Motors, the launch of a commercial van Business Centre, and FCA-regulated finance capability across the group.

Name

Wilson and Co

Legal name

Wilson & Co (Motor Sales) Ltd

Website

https://wilsonandco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wilson and Co, trading as Drayton Motors, is a family-owned UK automotive dealership group operating ten sites across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire, selling new and used cars and vans from seven brands alongside servicing, finance, and Motability services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grimsby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales (New and Used): Sale of new and used cars and vans across seven automotive brands (Kia, Peugeot, Suzuki, Vauxhall, OMODA, JAECOO, BYD). Revenue generated from vehicle transaction prices, including both retail and business customers.
2. Vehicle Finance: Finance products offered including Personal Contract Purchase (PCP). FCA-regulated consumer credit activities through Wilson & Co (Motor Sales) Ltd and Wilson & Co (Kia) Ltd. Earns commission from finance providers.
3. Servicing and Aftercare: Service and repair operations including MOT testing, parts sales, tyres, and bodyshop services. Additional revenue from service plans and drive now pay later options.
4. Motability Scheme: Participation in the UK Motability scheme providing vehicles for disabled customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Wilson and Co (now trading as Drayton Motors) is a family-owned automotive dealership group that sells new and used cars and commercial vans from seven manufacturers (Kia, Peugeot, Suzuki, Vauxhall, OMODA, JAECOO, BYD) across ten physical dealership locations in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. The group also provides FCA-regulated vehicle finance (including PCP), aftersales servicing, MOT testing, parts, tyres, bodyshop repairs, the Motability scheme, and prepaid service plans.

Product overview

Wilson and Co (now trading as Drayton Motors) is a family-owned car and van dealership group established in 1998, operating ten dealerships across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. The company offers a unified portfolio comprising new and used passenger cars from seven brands (Kia, Peugeot, Suzuki, Vauxhall, OMODA, JAECOO, and BYD) plus new and used commercial vans from Vauxhall and Peugeot. The product portfolio is supplemented by servicing and aftercare services (including MOT, parts, tyres, and bodyshop), vehicle finance products (PCP and motability schemes), and flexible payment options. No individual software product or platform is offered; the company operates as a traditional automotive retail business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Cars Sale of new passenger cars from seven automotive brands, available at dealership locations across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire for retail and business customers.
• Used Cars Pre-owned car sales across all seven represented brands, with access to group-wide stock from ten dealerships and a Price Check Guarantee that refunds the difference if an identical used car is found cheaper at a competitor dealer within seven days.
• New Vans Sale of new commercial vans from Vauxhall and Peugeot, targeting businesses of all sizes with fleet and commercial vehicle solutions.
• Used Vans Pre-owned commercial van sales from multiple manufacturers, serving both business and individual commercial vehicle needs.
• Servicing and Aftercare Vehicle servicing, MOT testing, parts replacement, tyres, and bodyshop services available across all dealership locations for vehicles of any make.
• Service Plans Prepaid scheduled maintenance packages covering routine servicing and aftercare, allowing customers to spread or pre-pay for vehicle upkeep.
• Motability Scheme UK Motability scheme participation that allows disabled customers to exchange their mobility allowance for a new car via fixed-term rental arrangements, providing vehicle access and independence.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vertu Motors: UK-listed multi-brand franchised automotive retailer operating a national network of dealerships selling new and used cars and vans, with comparable aftersales, finance, and Motability offerings.
• Marshall Motor Group: UK franchised dealer group representing volume brands across multiple regions, with overlapping aftersales and business-centre operations; acquired by Constellation Automotive Group, illustrating the consolidation path for regional UK dealer groups.
• Lookers: UK franchised dealer group selling new and used vehicles from volume and premium brands across multiple regions, with parallel aftersales, finance, and fleet exposure; directly comparable multi-brand, multi-region UK dealer business model.
• JCT600: Privately-owned UK franchised dealer group with multiple volume-brand dealerships across northern England, offering directly comparable new and used vehicle sales, aftersales, and finance products to overlapping customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Inchcape plc: Global automotive distributor and retailer with UK franchised dealer operations; comparable multi-brand franchised model and exposure to new vehicle sales, aftersales, and finance, but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Arnold Clark: Largest privately-owned UK car retailer, operating an extensive network of franchised dealerships selling new and used vehicles; comparable direct franchised dealer model and aftersales operations at substantially larger scale.
• Pendragon (now part of Lithia): UK franchised dealer group historically operating a large multi-brand network with aftersales and finance operations; recently acquired by Lithia Motors, illustrating the PE/strategic exit pathway for UK dealer consolidation.
• Group 1 Automotive: Large US-headquartered franchised automotive retailer with UK operations through Inchcape UK Retail acquisition; comparable multi-brand, multi-region franchised dealer model and finance/F&I revenue mix.

Others

• Auto Trader Group: UK's dominant online automotive marketplace and data platform that influences pricing discovery and lead generation for franchised dealers; comparable to Wilson and Co as an ecosystem participant affecting used vehicle demand and pricing.
• Cox Automotive UK: Provider of dealer software, remarketing, and inventory management solutions to UK franchised dealers; comparable as a key supplier and ecosystem partner to the group's dealership operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wilsonandco

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wilson and Co