John Banks Group to open new Honda dealership in Colchester

John Banks Group will be moving into its new home at Scotts Corner, in Ipswich Road, in May.

The site is currently occupied by a Vauxhall dealership managed by Underwoods, which announced its closure on Tuesday.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the closure of Underwoods’ Skoda dealership, which is next to the current Vauxhall showroom.

The firm is also closing its Kia showroom. 

John Banks will offer Honda cars and motorcycles and will also take over the running of the existing Underwoods Mazda dealership.

Its chief executive, Melanie Banks-Browne, said it’s “a great opportunity for [John Banks] to expand [their] presence in the area and provide customers with a great selection of vehicles”.

The new dealership will feature an impressive selection of cars and motorcycles from Honda, including the latest models such as the Civic Type R and Africa Twin Adventure Sports, as well as a wide variety of Mazda vehicles, such as the CX-30 SUV and MX-5 roadster.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Mrs Banks-Browne added: “We are committed to delivering an excellent experience for all our customers.

Coming soon - John Banks Group will open its new dealership in May (Image: John Banks Group)

“Our team is dedicated to helping people find their perfect car or motorcycle at a great price.”

The dealership will also feature state-of-the-art showrooms equipped with interactive displays which allow customers to explore each vehicle in detail before making their purchase decision.

There will also be a full service department available for any necessary maintenance or repairs that may arise after purchase.

Mark Banks, the managing director, said: “At John Banks Group we strive to provide an enjoyable customer experience regardless of if you're looking for a new car or need routine maintenance on your current vehicle.”

Plans - The new Colchester dealership will offer Mazda and Honda vehicles (Image: John Banks Group)

As part of the acquisition, all staff currently employed by Underwoods at the site will be retained.

A spokesperson for John Banks Group added: “We are delighted to be expanding our business and look forward to welcoming customers to our new site.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Underwoods for their co-operation during the acquisition process and we wish them all the best for the future.”

Gerry Wiggins, who is the managing director of Underwoods, confirmed: "We will handing over ownership of our Mazda dealership in Colchester to its new owner from Tuesday, May 2.

"As a family-run business with an excellent reputation, we are confident that John Banks Group will serve Colchester very well, and we wish them the very best of luck for the future."