motoring | style
Leslie’s Motors Spread Their Wings
Leslie’s Motors, the highly-respected, family-run business, have further expanded with the recent acquisition of Sandown-based Toyota dealers, Wight Motors. The takeover means Leslie’s Motors now have leading franchises across the Island from Cowes to South Wight, providing an excellent range of vehicles to suit all requirements.
T
he company was founded in Ventnor in 1949 by Leslie Vanassche, and his son Graham, now managing director, joined the business 39 years ago, working at their Northwood Garage headquarters, initially in the paint shop before becoming a salesman in 1979.
Graham, born and bred on the Island, recalls, “When my father and my mother Peggy started the company we had franchises for the likes of Austin, Morris, MG and Wolseley – all the traditional British cars. We became Mazda dealers 38 years ago when Japanese cars were just coming into the market and we knew little about them. I suppose we were quite brave taking them on, but they proved very popular. We gradually expanded, taking
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www.styleofwight.co.uk
on the Kia franchise in 1991, and are one of only seven original dealers across the country. Later we acquired Suzuki, which we run out of Hale Common, and then took on Honda nearly 15 years ago. We subsequently moved that dealership from our main site at Northwood just a few hundred yards down the road towards Cowes, opposite BAE Systems.”
Negotiations to buy Wight Motors began purely by chance towards the end of last year, with Graham explaining: “Roy Butler (former owner) came over to Northwood to buy a car for his sister-in-law and over a cup of coffee in my office he told me he had decided to sell Wight Motors. We are delighted that we had the opportunity to acquire it, and all the staff will be staying
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