Our Journey

Our Journey

Dick Lovett strives to provide the best service to our customers through our company mission of “customer satisfaction through staff satisfaction”

Our Journey So Far

Our Journey So Far

Where it all began

What started out as one man trading iconic automobiles, has grown into a company of over 900 employees.

With Dick Lovett’s son Peter as our Chairman, and his Granddaughter Rebecca on our Management Board, the vision to keep the company as a Lovett family-run business is still alive almost 60 years later. One of our main goals is that no matter how many employees we have, we maintain the family ethos that Dick Lovett started with.

Our Company has grown to become one of the South West's leading automotive retailers, representing several of the motoring industry's biggest and most prestigious manufacturers. 

All of our knowledgeable staff know that buying a car or bike is an important decision and maintaining it is just as imperative. That’s why we have a hard-earned reputation for offering unrivalled customer service and support which dates back to the 1960’s.

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

Before ‘Dick Lovett Specialist Cars’ was born, Dick Lovett sold motorcycles in the first dealership he set up as Ross Motors in Leicestershire.

From starting out in 1957 with one dealership to now spreading across the Southwest with 15 car dealerships, 1 motorcycle dealership and 2 Bodyshops, the company has grown exponentially.

Our teams pride ourselves on representing some of the most recognisable and prestigious brands in the world. 

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

In 1966, ‘Dick Lovett Specialist Cars’ opened in Wroughton and Peter Lovett, joined at the age of 16. It was only two years later that Dick Lovett became an official partner of BMW UK, making us the longest serving official BMW partner in the country. Dick Lovett are also one of Porsche GB’s original partners.

After laying strong foundations for the future with BMW, Porsche and Ferrari, Dick Lovett retired, and Peter Lovett took over the family business in 1977.

Since then, Dick Lovett has been proud to work with and represent incredible brands such as MINI, BMW Motorrad, Aston Martin and the most recent; Jaguar Land Rover. We have built strong partnerships with all the brands we represent, and our continued success owes much to our constant drive to deliver the best possible service for our customers.

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

Our most recognisable locations are probably the campuses at Bristol and Swindon where we have multiple brands in one location.

In 1987, Dick Lovett bought Western Counties Garages in central Bristol, but just 10 years later, the company invested in the Cribbs Causeway campus as development land to provide more room for the ever-growing business.

After building BMW, MINI, Porsche and BMW Motorrad dealerships, alongside a purpose-built Prep Centre, Aston Martin opened their doors in 2016 to complete the campus. However, with more and more brands on site, the Central Operations team needed more room to operate, so the Farmhouse was re-designed to accommodate IT, Corporate, Marketing and Bookings.

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

Swindon has seen similar growth from the Dick Lovett brand since 1999 when BMW was built.

In 2012, Ferrari Swindon moved to its new home “The Copse”, followed by Porsche Centre Swindon three years later.

In 2016, the Personnel and IT teams moved to Gate 1, The Depot and a Wheel Refurbishment Centre opened at Gate 2 at The Depot, which supports the larger Dick Lovett Bodyshop which is also based in Swindon.

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

In 2016 on our Bristol campus, we were delighted to open the doors to our Aston Martin dealership, which at the time was the biggest Aston Martin showroom in the UK.

Aside from Bristol and Swindon, the Dick Lovett name has spread far and wide in the South West of the UK. With Porsche Centres in Newport and Tewkesbury, BMW/MINI dealerships in Hungerford and Melksham, and Jaguar Land Rover in Melksham which opened in 2017. 

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

The most recent property move from Dick Lovett was the relocation of BMW and MINI Bath to Melksham.

Situated over the road from Jaguar Land Rover, we hope that Melksham will also become a hub of Dick Lovett activity.

This move was headed up by our Property Director, Rebecca Maloney. Rebecca now sits on the Management Board and works with her father Peter Lovett to plan for the future success of Dick Lovett.

The Journey So Far

The Journey So Far

As you can see, Dick Lovett is no longer a small company, but we try to maintain the family feeling.

It won’t be uncommon for you to see the Management Board in passing as you go about your daily routines. We are not a faceless organisation, and we want to make sure that everyone is heard.

Thank you for reading our journey so far and we hope you have enjoyed learning more about the Dick Lovett business, family, and journey so far. We would like to take the time to wish you all the best for your future career with us.

Careers | Julian Winterburn | Our Journey
Dick Lovett is a family business that continues to grow and reinvest. I am supported by a great team of talented individuals, which is invaluable given the ever changing nature of working in an automotive retailer.

Julian Winterburn

Finance Director