Vertu Motors

A UK motor retailer headquartered in Gateshead with about 196 dealerships selling and servicing cars, vans and motorbikes from many manufacturers.

About Vertu Motors

Vertu Motors is a UK motor retailer. It sells new and used cars, vans and motorbikes, and services and repairs them in its own workshops. It also has a fleet business called Vertu Fleet, a commercial vehicles arm called Vansdirect and The Taxi Centre for taxi and private hire vehicles.

The company says its mission is to "deliver an outstanding customer motoring experience through honesty and trust". Its stated aim is to make buying a car, van or motorbike simple, easy and enjoyable with the customer at the centre. It lists its values as passion, respect, professionalism, integrity, recognition, opportunity and commitment.

Vertu was founded in 2006 and its head office, Vertu House, is at Team Valley in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Its website says it has 196 dealerships in about 150 locations nationwide. In 2025 it brought two long-standing regional names, Bristol Street Motors in England and Macklin Motors in Scotland, under the Vertu name. It sells brands including Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo, plus newer names such as BYD and Leapmotor. Its motorcycle division sells BMW, Ducati and Honda bikes. The company says it is open until 9pm in its sales outlets, which suggests shift patterns beyond a standard office day.

Vertu lists customer promises such as a 14-day money-back guarantee and free home delivery within 30 miles, and sells vehicles through the Motability scheme. It has won industry awards, including Autotrader Retailer of the Year in 2025 and 2026 according to its own site. The motorcycle side offers rider programmes such as the Honda School of Motorcycling, which shows a little of the variety inside the business. Its site also lists Learn to Ride with Motorrad and a Vertu Motorcycle Club for riders. In 2023 its chief executive Robert Forrester was named Business Leader of the Year at the Automotive Management Awards, according to the company's list of awards.

The jobs inside a dealer group are broad. They include vehicle sales, valeting and preparation, service and MOT technicians, parts, accident repair, finance and administration, fleet account management, marketing and head office teams. The page we read did not state a total headcount or describe daily culture beyond the stated values, so ask what a typical week looks like in the role you are interested in.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Cars, vans and motorbikes from dozens of brands.', 'title': 'New and used vehicles'}
• {'desc': 'Workshops with manufacturer-accredited technicians.', 'title': 'Servicing, MOTs and repairs'}
• {'desc': 'Business, van and taxi vehicle supply.', 'title': 'Vertu Fleet, Vansdirect and The Taxi Centre'}
• {'desc': 'New and used bikes with learn-to-ride programmes.', 'title': 'Motorcycles and rider training'}

Key facts

• Founded 2006; head office at Team Valley, Gateshead
• 196 dealerships in about 150 locations (own site)
• Mission: outstanding customer motoring experience through honesty and trust
• Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors brought under the Vertu name in 2025

Website: vertumotors.com