| Ford Retail Group Ltd. | |
| Former Name: | Polar Ford (1998–2004) |
| Founder: | Ford Motor Company |
| Location: | Colchester, Essex, U.K. |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Products: | New and used cars |
| Locations: | Worldwide |
| Owner: | Ford Motor Company |
| Num Employees: | 2958 (2007)[1] |
| Parent: | Ford of Britain |
Ford Retail Group Ltd., currently operating as TrustFord,[2] is an operator of franchised motorcar dealerships in the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands that is now owned by Ford of Europe. In addition to selling both new and used Ford and Iveco cars and commercial vehicles, Ford Retail Group dealerships also operate their full garage workshop, repair and service centre.[3]
In October 1998, Jardine Motors Group announced a joint venture with the manufacturer for its Ford dealerships.[4] The merged firm was named Polar Ford.[5]
The following year, Polar Ford purchased Dagenham Motors.[6] In May 2002, Polar Ford purchased a further three dealerships in North London from Stripestar,[7] and Alperton Ford in February 2003,[8] before Jardine sold their 51% stake in the joint venture to Ford in March 2004, at which point the company became known as Ford Retail Group.[9]
By 2014, Ford Retail Group was operating under a number of different names:
As a result, the company took the decision that year to rebrand all its activities under the single name of TrustFord.[10]