Altoncars Security Rating

The Alton Cars Group was established by current chairman Tony Parish and Alan Stephenson, who opened their first bodyshop in central Leeds in 1979. Having built a reputation for quality and attention to detail, which resulted in a steady increase in business, Alton Cars gradually expanded its Leeds operation into two state of the art units on Saxton Lane. In 1999, the company acquired Minster Coachworks, a large bodyshop in York, doubling the group’s turnover and taking the business into new territories such as York, Harrogate and Teesside. In 2007, the Leeds site moved to a new, purpose-built state of the art bodyshop site in the Cross Green area on the outskirts of the city centre, approved for structural, aluminium and composite materials, making it one of only a handful in the UK. From this site, the company has won several industry awards, including Motor Trader Bodyshop of the Year, Bodyshop Magazine Independent Bodyshop of the Year, and AM Magazine’s Bodyshop of the year. Further expansion occurred during the first decade of the new millennium, with the purchase of Knaresborough Body Repairs on the outskirts of Harrogate, RC Jones Motor Bodies in Barnsley, and Huddersfield Accident Repair Centre. By expanding the size of the network to five bodyshops, the group has achieved strategic coverage of the entire Yorkshire region. The Alton Cars Group is absolutely dedicated to standards, with all five bodyshops holding the BSI Kitemark accreditation, supported with a range of manufacturer approvals. All this is underpinned by a rigorous training programme, which has seen all workshop staff qualified to Automotive Technician Accreditation standard. In 2011, the company has entered an exciting new phase in its development. All five bodyshops have recently rebranded under the Alton Cars name as the company embarks on a new marketing campaign to build awareness of its enhanced services, whilst significant investment has been made in repair equipment to ensure the company remains ahead of the advancements in vehicle body construction. Additional investment has been made in a state-of-the-art bodyshop management software package linking enabling the group to provide real-time information to its clients, and the company has pioneered a groundbreaking fast repair process in response to customer demand, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the industry throughout the next decade.