H.R. Owen Plc has evolved into the group it is today over a period of more than 70 years. Captain Harold Rolfe Owen opened his dealership, selling Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars in 1932. Over the years, the original business in Berkeley Street, London, has relocated, been joined by many other franchises and experienced a number of 'owners', culminating with the purchase of H.R. Owen dealerships by Malaya Group Plc in 1994. Malaya Group since attributed the H.R. Owen name to the majority of its prestige franchises and adopted the H.R. Owen name for the group in 1997 - the year H.R. Owen celebrated its 65th anniversary.
1932 Captain Harold Rolfe Owen opens H.R. Owen at 17 Berkeley Street, London, selling Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars.
1939 The showroom closes for the duration of World War II.
1941 Captain Owen dies as a result of aggravating injuries sustained in World War I, aged just 41.
1946 Yorkshire businessman Fritz Swain buys the company in 1946 and re-opens again in Berkeley Street.
1960s New showrooms open, including the Kensington premises still in operation today, together with a facility on the A40 in west London and Hampstead.
1969 H.R. Owen registered as part of the Swain Group Ltd. owned by the Hanson Trust
1970 The Swain Group is sold to Lex, but H.R. Owen and the Swain Group's fleet division is simultaneously sold to Heron. H.R. Owen becomes the luxury London arm of Heron Group with outlets from Inverness to Exeter.
1994 Heron Motor Group sells a number of its businesses, including H.R. Owen, to Malaya Group Plc. 'H.R Owen' is attributed to the majority of Malaya's prestige franchises.
1997 In the year the H.R. Owen name celebrates its 65th Anniversary, Malaya Group Plc adopts the name for the group, better reflecting its focus onprestige and performance car retailing.
2000 H.R. Owen Plc represents over 20 franchises at over 40 locations. Its brand names include H.R. Owen 'tradition of excellence', Malaya and Bradshaw Webb Mercedes-Benz, Holland Park BMW, Hollingdrake in the Stockport area and Citygate for the majority of its volume franchises. Highlights include:-
H.R. Owen Plc purchases Jack Barclay, to become the largest Rolls-Royce and Bentley retailer worldwide
H.R. Owen Plc becomes the official importer of the Lamborghini marque in the United Kingdom
A purpose-built new generation flagship Audi Centre opened in Whetstone
2001 The group make acquisitions and win new franchises throughout the year including:-
H.R. Owen Chrysler-Jeep in Romford
A sports cars aftersales facility in north London
BMW dealership Holland Park wins the new MINI franchise
A fourth Volkswagen franchise - Citygate Hayes comes on board
Mercedes-Benz appoints H.R. Owen Plc as one of its partners under its new retail initiative
Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick wins smart franchise
2002 The group make acquisitions and win new franchises throughout the year including:-
Mercedes-Benz of Eastbourne and Mercedes-Benz of Redhill, together with the re-branded Mercedes-Benzof Gatwick, make-up part of the manufacturer's new retail initiative
Two new Volvo franchises in Colchester and Ipswich are acquired
Land Rover dealership in Bury St Edmunds joins the group
A dedicated pre-delivery inspection (PDI) centre at Shenley, Herts, opens
2003 H.R. Owen Plc develops its current portfolio including:-
The split between manufacturers of the Rolls-Royce (BMW) and Bentley (Volkswagen Group) brands is reflected at dealer level with H.R. Owen Plc retailing Bentley at its Jack Barclay dealership and Rolls-Royce at premises in Park Lane
The representation of the Jaguar marque in East Anglia is expanded to Bury St Edmunds
Lamborghini London relocates to a larger and more prominent showroom in Old Brompton Road
Heathrow BMW is acquired
2004 H.R. Owen Plc consolidates and develops its current franchises including the incorporation of new businesses, highlights include:-
Amersham Audi is acquired joining businesses in Whetstone, Colindale and Finchley Road to form H.R. Owen Group Audi
Lamborghini Manchester opens
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London relocates to Berkeley Square, Mayfair
Mercedes-Benz of Redhill receives a major refurbishment
Flagship £4 million Volkswagen retail outlet opens in Ruislip
H.R. Owen Plc sponsors MPH'04 as the show's 'official dealer' with a 90-car display
H.R. Owen Plc hosts its biggest used car weekend event with 500+ vehicles at Brent Cross Shopping Centre
2005 H.R. Owen Plc continues to develop its businesses, highlights include:
H.R. Owen opens its £7 million 'gateway to London' BMW business on the A40 Western Avenue and rebrands its BMW division to trade as H.R. Owen
A new Volkswagen retail outlet in High Wycombe is acquired
Appointed official importers for Bugatti
Mercedes-Benz of Brighton and Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick receive refurbishments totalling £2 million
Lexus Brighton relocates to new premises adjacent to sister Mercedes-Benz business
H.R. Owen Plc returns to MPH'05
DOW Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Not Held
A personalised tool to help users track selected stocks. Delivering real-time notifications on price updates, announcements, and performance stats on each to help make informed investment decisions.
(20min delay)