"AG-reg Ford Orion in white," recalls Sytner Group boss Darren Edwards, without hesitation, when asked to recall the first car he ever sold. "I can remember the lovely couple I sold it to, and I can remember the deal. My manager wouldn't give any money off, but we threw in a two-year warranty." So began a career in car retail that has seen Edwards rise to the very top of Britain's largest and premier car dealer group. He is an Outstanding UK Leader for 2023, recognition not only for a stellar career to date that includes a nine-year stint as Sytner Group MD but also a performance last year that saw Sytner return a whopping $8.4 billion (£6.8bn) in revenue from its 150 or so franchises, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover.
Edwards started his career as an apprentice paint sprayer after leaving school at 16 in 1984. He noticed the salespeople "looked cleaner" so decided to become a sales trainee five years later. In 1996 he moved to BMW and to Sytner in 2004, where he was put in charge of BMW's London dealerships, including Canary Wharf. Just 10 years later he was in charge of the Sytner Group in the UK.
Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE ONE WHEN PEUGEOT GOT ITS SUPERMINI MOJO BACK
The 208 marked a return to form for a maker renowned for its small cars
READY TO TOFF
Gordon Murray's grand new HQ is now nearing completion, with T50 production already in full swing. MATT PRIOR and STEVE CROPLEY drop by and go for a ride
This humble chip will change cars forever
Nvidia, the £2.7 trillion US tech giant behind it, has the power to shape motoring's intelligent future. JAMES ATTWOOD learns how
MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS
Interior upgrades make the MPV worthy of shuttling Merc's CEO himself
Sharing is caring
One successful motor trader has opened up his car collection for the benefit of his home town.JOHN EVANS meets him
When trains would take your car across the UK
The Channel Tunnel's Le Shuttle service is a marvel, saving drivers hassle and several hours on a ferry, and even after 30 years it's still something of a novelty to drive your car onto a train carriage.
MG ZS
Dacia Duster-chasing crossover joins MG's hybrid powertrain push
LAND ROVER DEFENDER OCTA
It's a 4x4 that thinks it's a supercar. But does this 627bhp V8 flagship offer the best of both worlds or just compromise each for the other?
Matt Prior
To nobody's great surprise, the other day the Renault 5 and Alpine A290 jointly won the 2025 Car of the Year award (the original and still the best of the big international car awards thingies).
DS WANTS TO BECOME 'LOUIS VUITTON OF CAR INDUSTRY'
It's aiming to follow Bentley into the luxury space, says design director