No detailed financial performance figures were publicly released, but in a chairman's statement its first quarter trading was said to have gone 'very well'.

Performance was helped by last year's disposals of a tranche of mainstream marque dealers, and the business concentrating on specialising in luxury and exotic brands.

However, the AGM coincided with the departure of David Jaggar, HR Owen's finance director, who leaves after fifteen years and is replaced by Mike Warren, currently the group's financial controller.