You walk past the same dealership every day. Maybe you’ve bought a car there. Maybe you’ve just waved to the staff while walking the dog. Maybe your dad used to take the family car in for service every spring like clockwork. Then one day, there’s a sign on the window—“Closing Down”—and that familiar place suddenly feels like a piece of the past.
That’s what’s happening right now at several Marshall Motor Group dealerships across the UK. The news dropped quietly at first, but now it’s official: six locations are closing by March 2025, and people are starting to feel it.
Let’s talk about what’s going on—not just the headlines, but the real stuff underneath.
Who’s Closing?
Here’s the list. These are the sites that are shutting their doors:
- Marshall Volkswagen – Aylesbury
- Marshall Volkswagen – Horsham
- Marshall Peugeot – Ashford
- Marshall Peugeot – Canterbury
- Marshall Peugeot – Peterborough
- Marshall Vauxhall – Peterborough
That’s not just buildings and cars. That’s hundreds of people—sales advisors, mechanics, receptionists—now wondering what’s next.
Why? Well… It’s Complicated
If you ask the company, they’ll tell you it’s part of a “strategic review”. Which, sure, it is. But that’s corporate speak for “this isn’t working the way it used to”.
The truth is, the world of car buying has shifted massively in the past few years. A lot of people now do most of their browsing—and even their actual buying—online. Showrooms that once buzzed with weekend traffic now have quiet corners and fewer handshakes.
Add to that the cost of running a dealership: energy bills, staff wages, insurance, tech updates, coffee machines, even keeping the showroom floor spotless—it all adds up.
When dealerships slow down, and overheads go up, someone eventually has to make the call.
New Bosses, New Direction
Back in 2022, Constellation Automotive Group took over Marshall. They’re the folks behind WeBuyAnyCar and Cinch—big on digital, big on doing things differently. Since then, it’s been clear that Marshall was heading toward leaner operations.
Fewer buildings, more focus. Less spread, more speed.
And that means letting go of branches that just aren’t pulling their weight anymore—or ones that simply don’t fit the plan.
What Does This Mean for You?
Let’s say you bought your car at Marshall Volkswagen Aylesbury. What now?
Well, your car’s fine. Your warranty doesn’t vanish. Your service plan still stands. You’ll likely be redirected to another Marshall branch nearby. Same brand, same standards—just a new location.
Still, it stings. People grow attached to the places they trust. Maybe you’ve dealt with the same service advisor for years. Maybe the sales guy remembered your name—or your kid’s name. That kind of connection doesn’t transfer with the paperwork.
And What About the Staff?
Here’s the part that hits the hardest.
Behind those showroom desks are people who’ve shown up early every morning, sometimes in the cold, sometimes in the rain, sometimes staying late just to help a customer get that one question answered. Now many of them are facing redundancy or scrambling to transfer to a different site.
It’s the end of a routine, a work family, and often, a place that gave people purpose and pride.
Also Read: Things They Don’t Tell You About Travelling Solo as a Woman
A Bigger Shift in the Industry
Let’s zoom out a bit.
Marshall isn’t the only one making cuts. Car dealers across the UK—and honestly, across the world—are reassessing. Some are merging sites. Others are ditching physical showrooms altogether.
Electric vehicles are changing the game too. They require different tools, fewer repairs, and different kinds of training. Some dealerships are investing in EV-ready setups. Others are opting out entirely.
It’s not “business as usual” anymore. The whole industry is going through what you might call a bumpy ride.
How Marshall Is Framing It
Marshall and the manufacturers involved (Volkswagen and Stellantis, which owns Peugeot and Vauxhall) have called this part of a broader “evolution” of the retail network. The aim is to create a more sustainable model, with better-performing locations and a tighter operation.
And to be fair, that probably does make business sense.
But for everyday people? The word “evolution” sounds pretty cold when it comes with job losses and padlocked doors.
If You’re a Marshall Customer
Here’s a quick list of what you might want to do:
- Call Ahead: If you’ve got an appointment or a service due, phone your dealership to check if it’s still on or if you need to go elsewhere.
- Check Nearby Sites: Use Marshall’s website or Google to find the nearest active dealership for your brand.
- Keep Your Docs Handy: Warranty papers, service history, purchase contracts—keep them together. If you need to transfer records, it’ll save time.
- Ask Questions: Don’t be shy. If you’re unsure, ask. Good dealerships will go out of their way to keep you informed.
So… What Happens Next?
For the areas losing these dealerships, it’ll feel like a gap. Not just physically, but emotionally. Dealerships can be landmarks. People remember buying their first car there. Or getting a flat fixed last minute before a road trip. Or popping in with nothing more than a coffee and a question.
That kind of memory doesn’t go away just because the sign comes down.
Marshall will keep going, and so will its remaining branches. The company’s aiming to modernise, focus, and thrive. That’s the goal.
But in the process, it’s okay to admit something important is being lost, too.
Final Thought
The closure of these Marshall dealerships isn’t just about profit margins or corporate restructuring. It’s about places that felt familiar and people who put their all into their work.
If there’s one thing to take from all of this, it’s that change, even when necessary, is still hard. For the customers. For the staff. For the towns that will now have one less place to walk into and say, “Can you take a look at this weird noise?”
We move on. But it’s okay to miss what’s being left behind.
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