Newbury: BCMS manages Driving Instructor sale

Newbury-based BCMS Corporate has managed the sale of The Driving Instructor Centre, the number one provider of dual-control vehicles in the UK, in a multi-million pound deal following the retirement of one of the three founding directors.

Headquartered at Kingsclere, BCMS Corporate, which sells more privately owned companies than anyone else in the country, managed its sale to car finance providers Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions for £11.8m.

The Driving Instructor Centre which supplies some 3,200 new and nearly new contract hire and lease vehicles a year to independent driving schools and employs 50 people, will continue to run as a separate business. It is currently in the process of rolling-out a nationwide network of dual-control vehicle centres as part of an ambitious plan for growth.

Mark West, a Director at The Driving Instructor Centre, said: “Under new Government reforms, the driving test is becoming much tougher and learners will soon be required to take around 50 lessons before they are allowed to sit their tests. This has led to a major upsurge in demand for dual control cars and we envisage that with the support and financial backing of our new owner, The Driving Instructor Centre will continue to expand.”

Steve Rebbettes, Operations Director, BCMS Corporate, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have found a buyer for The Driving Instructor Centre. It is a fantastic business, with huge potential, and I am confident that its new owners, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, will provide it with the means necessary to continue to lead the way in the supply of dual-controlled vehicles in the UK.”

Legal advice to The Driving Instructor Centre was provided by Edward Hands & Lewis and Torr Waterfield whilst Charles Lucas Marshall (solicitors) and Ernst & Young (accountants) acted on behalf of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.