One of Glasgow’s biggest and most successful nearly new vehicle retailers marked its 20th birthday recently after firmly establishing itself as an important part of the city’s motoring landscape.
Motorpoint Glasgow on Hamilton Road first opened its doors in 2003 – a year when the Black-Eyed Peas were topping the UK charts and Love Actually was breaking box office records.
Since then, with thousands of vehicles sold to just as many happy customers, the store is one of the region’s premier destinations for motorists searching for a quality nearly new vehicle at unbeatable prices.
It’s also been a happy workplace for lots of team members past and present, including - Sales Controller Brian O’Hagen and Yard Hand Brian McGuigan – who have both been with the store since day one.
Glasgow’s 20th birthday coincides with an even bigger milestone for Motorpoint which marks up its 25th birthday in 2023 and is now the UK’s largest independent retailer of nearly new cars and vans.
The group now employs more than 850 people nationwide, including 27 staff in Glasgow, and currently operates 20 stores across the UK, including a second Scottish retail store in Edinburgh which opened last year in the Autumn.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, James White, who joined as the General Sales Manager at Motorpoint Glasgow in March 2022 has been looking through the store’s records.
The very first car sold at the store, on 25 March 2003, was a Jasper Blue Mercedes-Benz C-Class with 19,999 miles on the clock. Within minutes, a second sale was recorded, this time a silver Renault Clio in near-new condition with only 6,599 miles driven.
Since then, though, sales at the store have broadly followed national trends, with the most popular makes sold at the store being: 1. Ford, 2. Vauxhall and 3. Volkswagen.
James said: “I am so proud to be part of Motorpoint at the time we mark our Glasgow store’s 20th anniversary and even more exciting that it’s in the same year as Motorpoint marks its 25th birthday.
“What’s really special about our Glasgow store is the number of our colleagues who have been with us since the beginning including our two Brians.”
One of the ‘Brians,’ Sales Controller Brian O’Hagen, has also reflected on his two decades with Motorpoint Glasgow.
Brian explained: “I started as a salesman and then went on to become Business Manager and then Sales Manager and now Sales Controller.
He said: “I’ve had several different roles at the store down the years but have always loved being here. I love the feeling of doing a great job for a customer and the sense of teamwork we have.
“I’m also proud to have played a small role in helping the business grow down the years.”
Brian added: “I also love the fact that we see ourselves as part of the local community rather than just a business. Down the years we’ve done loads for charity and supported lots of groups and football teams with sponsorship.
“One highlight for me was when I completed a 100-mile cycle on a spin bike in the showroom, which took me six hours.”