Dobies
Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run main dealer franchisee for Peugeot and Vauxhall in West Cumbria, UK, selling new and used vehicles, commercial vans, and Motability cars while providing servicing, MOT, parts, and in-house finance brokerage to retail, commercial, and mobility customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersWorkington, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dobies does
Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run, privately held automotive retail business headquartered at Dobies Business Park, Lillyhall West, Workington, in West Cumbria, United Kingdom. Founded approximately in 1970 and operating continuously for over 50 years, the company functions as a main dealer franchisee for Peugeot and Vauxhall under the Stellantis group, and additionally operates the Spoticar approved used vehicle programme. Its product set spans new car sales, commercial vehicles (vans and LCVs), used vehicle retail across multiple brands, aftersales (servicing, repairs, MOT testing), parts and accessories, and a specialist Motability offering. The technology layer is conventional dealership management and franchise integration rather than proprietary platform, supplemented by a faceted online used vehicle search on dobiescumbria.com.
The business monetises across five streams: new vehicle sales (one-time), used vehicle sales including Spoticar certified stock (one-time), servicing/MOT/parts (recurring professional services), Motability vehicle sales, and finance commission earned as an FCA-regulated credit broker (transaction fee). Finance is intermediated through Dobies Cumbria Finance Ltd (in-house), Stellantis Financial Services (primary for new vehicles), and Evolution Funding Ltd as fallback. Pricing is per-unit with finance offered via PCP and PCH structures at representative APRs ranging from 0% to 12.9%. The go-to-market is predominantly enterprise field sales through the physical showroom with phone and email support; digital channels include a vehicle search portal, manufacturer co-marketing (Vauxhall Partners, Tesco Clubcard), and local community engagement via the Dobies Cumbria Charitable Trust.
Customer segments are horizontally structured across individual retail buyers in West Cumbria, business and commercial fleet customers, and Motability scheme participants. The company maintains two affiliated entities: Dobies Cumbria Finance Ltd (wholly-owned finance subsidiary, FCA number 688096) and Dobies Cumbria Charitable Trust (community-giving vehicle established 1997, with over £250,000 donated). Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees in the source data, though the operational footprint (multi-department sales/service/parts, finance arm, dual-brand franchise) implies a substantially larger effective workforce; this discrepancy is noted but not resolved by the available evidence. The company is private, has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no identified institutional ownership, with control remaining within the founding family.
Dobies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dobies
- Legal name
- Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd
- Website
- https://dobiescumbria.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run main dealer franchisee for Peugeot and Vauxhall in West Cumbria, UK, selling new and used vehicles, commercial vans, and Motability cars while providing servicing, MOT, parts, and in-house finance brokerage to retail, commercial, and mobility customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Dobies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Workington
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dobies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new Peugeot and Vauxhall cars and commercial vehicles as main dealers/franchise holders.
- Used Vehicle Sales: Sale of approved used vehicles under Spoticar program and other makes/models. Over 80 approved used Spoticar vehicles available.
- Servicing, Repairs and MOT: Aftersales services including vehicle servicing, repairs, MOT testing, parts and accessories.
- Finance Commission: Credit broker introducing customers to finance lenders (Dobies Cumbria Finance Ltd, Evolution Funding Ltd, Stellantis Financial Services). Receives commission from lenders for introductions.
- Motability Vehicles: Specialist in Motability scheme vehicles, helping customers find mobility solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New Peugeot vehicles with various trim levels (Active, Allure, GT, GT Premium) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New Vauxhall vehicles (Corsa, Mokka, Frontera, Grandland, Astra) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Used vehicles with various makes and models |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Vehicle Finance - Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Vehicle Finance - Personal Contract Hire (PCH) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Dobies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run car dealership operating as the main dealer for Peugeot and Vauxhall in Workington, Cumbria. It sells new cars and commercial vehicles under these franchises, over 80 approved used vehicles through the Spoticar programme, and provides aftersales services including servicing, repairs, MOT testing, parts and accessories. It also brokers vehicle finance via Dobies Cumbria Finance and supplies Motability scheme vehicles.
Product overview
Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run car dealership operating as a multi-brand vehicle sales and service business. The core offering consists of new car and commercial vehicle sales as main dealers for Peugeot and Vauxhall franchises, alongside an approved used vehicle programme (Spoticar) covering multiple automotive brands. The business operates a platform model with complementary service modules including vehicle finance (Dobies Cumbria Finance), Motability scheme specialist services, and comprehensive aftersales support (servicing, repairs, MOT, parts). The product portfolio spans new vehicle sales, used vehicle retail, commercial/fleet sales, and financial services, unified under the Dobies Cumbria brand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,200 customers served through finance services since 2013
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Dobies
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Dobies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Dobies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PeugeotcoreMain dealer/franchise holder for Peugeot brand in Workington, Cumbria. Offers full range of new Peugeot cars and commercial vehicles. Access to manufacturer finance programs and support.
- VauxhallcoreMain dealer/franchise holder for Vauxhall brand in Workington, Cumbria. Offers full range of new Vauxhall cars and commercial vehicles. Access to manufacturer finance programs including Vauxhall Partners program.
- SpoticarcoreApproved used vehicle program providing over 80 quality-checked used vehicles with warranty. Partnership with Stellantis network.
- MotabilitycoreSpecialist in Motability vehicles, helping customers with disabilities find suitable mobility solutions through the Motability scheme.
- RACminor12 months RAC roadside assistance included with approved used vehicles.
- Vauxhall PartnersminorSpecial benefits programme for employees and members of partner organisations offering preferential rates on Vauxhall vehicles.
- Tesco ClubcardminorJoint promotional programme with Vauxhall offering Tesco Clubcard points on vehicle purchases.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Dobies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Waylands Automotive: UK dealer group operating multiple franchises including Peugeot and Vauxhall. Highly comparable as a similarly structured multi-brand main dealer serving regional UK catchments with sales, service, and Motability offerings.
- Bristol Street Motors: UK multi-franchise dealer group with volume-brand representation including Vauxhall. Comparable business model combining new/used sales, aftersales, and finance across regional UK showrooms.
- Perrys: Family-founded UK multi-franchise dealer group. Comparable to Dobies through its family-run heritage, regional UK showrooms, and multi-brand sales/service mix including commercial vehicles.
- JCT600: Family-owned UK dealer group operating multiple premium and volume franchises across the North of England. Similar model of multi-brand regional dealerships with new, used, aftersales, and finance operations.
- Marshall Motor Group: UK multi-brand dealer group with significant volume franchises including Peugeot and Vauxhall. Directly comparable in product mix, manufacturer relationships, and aftersales service offerings.
- Evans Halshaw: Major UK multi-franchise dealer group with a strong volume-brand presence including Vauxhall. Directly comparable as a national network operating similar franchises with used-car, service, and finance offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Arnold Clark: Largest independently owned car retailer in the UK with hundreds of franchised dealerships. Comparable as a UK new/used car sales and aftersales operator, though materially larger and national in scale than Dobies.
- Lookers: Major UK listed car dealer group with a broad portfolio of franchises. Operates in the same new/used vehicle sales, aftersales, and finance space as Dobies, but at substantially greater national scale.
- Pendragon: UK-listed automotive retailer with significant volume and premium franchise representation including Evans Halshaw. Comparable in product mix and franchise relationships, but at corporate scale rather than family-run regional.
- Inchcape: International automotive distributor and retailer with UK retail operations. Comparable as a multi-brand franchise retailer, though operating globally with a broader portfolio than a single-site regional dealer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dobies social profiles
Digital presenceDobies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dobies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Dobies subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Dobies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dobies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dobies
What does Dobies do?
Dobies Cumbria Motors Ltd is a family-run car dealership operating as the main dealer for Peugeot and Vauxhall in Workington, Cumbria. It sells new cars and commercial vehicles under these franchises, over 80 approved used vehicles through the Spoticar programme, and provides aftersales services including servicing, repairs, MOT testing, parts and accessories. It also brokers vehicle finance via Dobies Cumbria Finance and supplies Motability scheme vehicles.
Is Dobies a public or private company?
Dobies is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Dobies founded?
Dobies was founded in 1970. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dobies based?
Dobies is headquartered in Workington, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Dobies make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. New Vehicle Sales are the primary driver. The others are used Vehicle Sales, servicing, Repairs and MOT, finance Commission and motability Vehicles.
Who are Dobies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Waylands Automotive, Bristol Street Motors, Perrys, JCT600, Marshall Motor Group and Evans Halshaw. Broad incumbents are Arnold Clark, Lookers, Pendragon and Inchcape.
Does Dobies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dobies.