- Mullins leaves Constellation
- JLR state rescue stalls
- Group 1 expands with BMW Motorrad
- Vehicle Data Global rebrand by UK Vehicle Data
- New car registrations blossom in September
- WEEK AHEAD: Vertu interims
- Hendy 25-Year Club now has 170 members
- Marketplaces operator Prosus to buy France’s La Centrale
- Ineos wants to build cars in the US
- Hertz moves into online car sales
- MIKE HAWES GUEST OPINION: September signals EV momentum – but challenges remain
Mullins leaves Constellation
James Mullins, CFO of Constellation Retail and CEO of Cinch, has left the group. Mullins left Constellation, which owns Marshall Motor Group and BCA as well as Cinch, at the end of September.
Commenting on the move, Constellation executive chairman Avril Palmer-Lavery said: “This decision has been made jointly with James and will allow him to pursue exciting opportunities to progress his career and we are looking forward to continuing to work with James and supporting him in the future.
“James joined the Group in early 2022 to support our growth ambitions and we are appreciative of his flexibility and commitment as he has undertaken a number of roles; CEO of Cinch, interim group CFO, CEO of BCA UK and latterly as CFO of the newly formed Constellation Retail division.”
Mullins joined Constellation Automotive Group in 2022 after leaving Cambria when Mark Lavery delisted that business and took it back into private ownership in 2021. Mullins had been with Cambria since 2007.
JLR state rescue stalls
JLR is finalising a deal to lend suppliers “hundreds of millions of pounds” after a taxpayer-backed rescue stalled, reports The Sunday Times. The “radical lifeline” would inject up to £500m into its “bombed-out” supply chain.
It will operate as an invoice financing facility, and rely on tier one suppliers passing on the benefit further down the supply chain.
The initiative is separate to the £1.5bn “rescue” unveiled by ministers on Saturday. This is still yet to be signed off “despite appearances to the contrary”.
The latest target for a phased restart of production is Monday, but experts predict JLR won’t be fully back up and running before Christmas.
Group 1 expands with BMW Motorrad
Group 1 is expanding its Norwich BMW and Mini site with the addition of a BMW Motorrad motorcycle retailer. It will operate from the existing BMW showroom for now, ahead of purpose-built BMW Motorrad premises being completed in spring 2026.
Vehicle Data Global rebrand by UK Vehicle Data
The relaunch of UK Vehicle Data as Vehicle Data Global heralds an international expansion and “enhanced global vehicle data capabilities,” says the firm. New services are also being planned “to meet UK market demand for accurate and reliable current and future residual values”.
New car registrations blossom in September
Last month was the best September in five years as new car registrations rose 13.7% to reach 312,887 units. EV deliveries neared 73k, the best-ever monthly volume; when combined with hybrids, more than half of all new cars registered in September were electrified.
September is an important month as it typically accounts for one in seven annual registrations, says the SMMT. Chief executive Mike Hawes heralded the impact of the Electric Car Grant, which will “help to break down one of the barriers holding back more drivers from making the switch”.
The Kia Sportage was the best-selling car, hundreds of units ahead of the Ford Puma, which has been buoyed by being the only car to currently receive the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant. Notably, the Jaecoo 7 was fourth, and the BYD Seal U was sixth, as the rise of Chinese new entrants continues.* Read Mike Hawes’ exclusive guest opinion for Auto Sunday below
WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, UK retail sales
Wednesday, Vertu interims
DATA INSIGHT
Hendy 25-Year Club now has 170 members
11%: Hendy workforce with more than a quarter-century of service. In September, chief executive Paul Hendy – a fifth-generation family member – held a dedicated event to celebrate members of the ’25 Year Club’. Each inductee was presented with a carriage clock.
Marketplaces operator Prosus to buy France’s La Centrale
$1.3bn: The amount multinational marketplaces operator Prosus will pay for French auto marketplace La Centrale Group. Prosus is the parent company of classifieds division OLX Group.
GLOBAL AUTO
Ineos wants to build cars in the US
Ineos is searching for a site in the US to move production of its French-built Grenadier. CEO Lynn Calder told the FT it wants to start US production “as quickly as possible” to meet local demand – and avoid president Donald Trump’s 15% European import tariffs.
Last year, Ineos Automotive lost €290m, down from €323m in 2023. Parent company Ineos Industries Holdings pumped in €600m of debt in 2024, pushing outstanding debt to more than €3bn.
Hertz moves into online car sales
Hertz is launching a platform to sell used cars directly to consumers online. Bloomberg reports this would put it in competition with online retailer Carvana, CarMax and independent retailers who “aggressively employ the web”. Hertz also sells some of its ex-rental cars to Carvana.
“Going online is the latest move by CEO Gil West, who took over last year, to further grow retail sales.”
OPINION
Guest opinion: September signals EV momentum – but challenges remain
September has long been a bellwether for the UK car market, and in 2025, its significance is amplified. With economic headwinds and tightening ZEV Mandate targets, this year’s 75-plate month offered an early test of the Electric Car Grant’s impact – and initial signs are promising.
Total registrations rose 13.7% to reach more than 312,000, a clear sign of market resilience. Most notably, battery electric vehicles hit a record 72,000 units, double the volume of the entire EV market in 2019. It’s a milestone that reflects how far the industry has come, and how fast it’s moving.
But this growth has come at a cost. Manufacturers have shouldered the burden, heavily discounting to meet regulatory targets. The ECG is a welcome intervention, helping address affordability, a key barrier to private uptake – but it’s not a silver bullet.
EV market share reached 23.3% in September, still short of the 28% target. Private buyers remain underrepresented, accounting for fewer than one in four BEV registrations. Sustained support is essential, not just through incentives, but through infrastructure investment and clear policy signals.
Maintaining fleet momentum while rebuilding private demand must be a priority, so it is crucial that the existing incentives which have worked so well for fleets are maintained. And beyond the vehicles themselves, it is vital to help boost confidence with greater investment in chargepoint infrastructure.
Transitioning a complex market, with dozens of brands, hundreds of models and around two million new buyers, requires every possible lever to be pulled. What’s needed now is confidence – and collaboration between government and industry to ensure the transition is even more affordable, consumer-friendly and sustainable. Success will give the industry growth, while keeping the nation on the move.
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
Get in touch with Auto Sunday: tristan@autosunday.co.uk
ISSN 2977-6597