The Dealership Development & Design scheme will develop premises for owner occupiers, which the group claims will save dealers time and money during expansion.

The division will invest in developing new sites, either solely or as a joint venture with dealers, work in partnership on the design of premises and project manage construction.

The group estimates that retailers lose an average of £1m in profit while undergoing a site redevelopment and claims that figure can by recouped. A spokeswoman for Vardy Property Group said no formal agreements had yet been made with any car dealers. “For the moment, there aren't any target numbers,” she said. “It's just a case of how many dealers come forward after this announcement.” The group confirmed that it had already supported Peter Vardy in the development of two sites and was acting as consultant on the redevelopment of a third.

The company has built a new Vauxhall dealership for Peter Vardy in Kirkcaldy, and is developing a second new site at Motherwell. It is also overseeing the refurbishment of Edinburgh BMW/Mini. Richard Vardy said: “At Reg Vardy we built some of the best operations on the best commercial sites available and have good relationships with manufacturers as a result. “We understand the complexities of planning, constructing and operating motor dealerships to achieve the best returns for manufacturers and retailers.” Sir Peter Vardy, Richard Vardy's father, will be part of the new service as a consultant.