G3 Vehicle Auctions has acquired the Cazoo Wholesale business to create a new G3 Bedford auction facility as part of its ongoing UK expansion plan.

The Bedford facility joins G3’s existing Castleford flagship centre

Announced a day after used car retailer Cazoo went into administration as the deadline for a rescue deal expired, the acquisition sees the premises, land and existing remarketing team from the wholesale business join G3.

The Bedford facility will be run alongside G3’s existing Castleford flagship centre, which was purpose-built and opened in 2021. The expansion will see G3 increase total employees to over 140 and instantly doubles the capacity for vehicles.

A sales schedule for the new Bedford marketplace will be released shortly and the site is expected to offer in excess of 30,000 vehicles per annum via a mix of existing and new vendors.

As well as providing a new auction footprint in a new area of the UK, G3 Bedford will become an additional drop-off centre for G3’s network of finance house partners, whilst also offering onsite defleet and refurbishment facilities and secure fleet and in-life storage options. G3 intend to relocate its existing Pool Fleet operation to this new facility due to its strategic location and range of facilities and will also look to expand and focus on existing relationships within this sector.

The site currently holds the EVA standards, which will allow G3 Bedford to become an EV-focused auction centre, servicing the growing fleet disposal needs for electric and hybrid vehicles in the UK; a major focus of the G3 business over the coming years.

G3’s co-owner Matt Dale commented: “This year is the 15^th anniversary of G3 and after the recent development of our G3 Castleford centre and the uptake it has had in the industry, we have been actively seeking the right opportunity to extend our network across the UK. We are excited to onboard a group of experienced individuals to the team and collectively drive the service we’ve become known for at G3 into a new region, with further expansion opportunities currently in the pipeline.

“The new centre will undergo a significant seven-figure investment over the next 12-months to align its facilities and reflect the existing G3 brand and design ethos, whilst being fully operational to service our customer needs.”

G3 was advised on the transaction by Duncan Firman of Leeds-based law firm Gordons LLP.

Firman said: “The addition of a new remarketing centre in Bedford will be pivotal for G3, and the expansion represents a fundamental step in allowing the management team to continue to drive the business forward”.