MHA’s corporate finance team has advised on a deal in the automotive sector which has seen the coming together of two longstanding, award-winning car dealership businesses in the South of England.
Cambridge Garage has been sold by the Stringer family to Waylands whose head office is in Berkshire and which has 500 employees across 17 representation points.
Founded in 1963, Cambridge Garage was under its third generation of Stringer family ownership operating Volvo Cars Havant, alongside a used car centre and Volvo authorised repairer in Petersfield. The transaction brings the sites and more than 50 employees into the wider Waylands group.
The dealerships will continue to operate under the Cambridge Garage name with all colleagues continuing in their roles, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption for customers across Havant, Petersfield and the surrounding areas.
Our corporate finance team advised Cambridge Garage on the transaction with our deal team being led by Andrew Feeke and Ralph Walker-Moretti supported by Steve Freeman, MHA’s head of Automotive. Law firm Blake Morgan also advised the seller with its team led by Partner Mathew Wilson.
Ralph Walker-Moretti, Corporate Finance Manager at MHA, said: “Cambridge Garage’s success over many decades has been built on outstanding service and customer care. In planning for the succession of the business, it was vitally important to our clients that the business would join an organisation that shared these values for its future growth.
“Becoming part of Waylands will allow it to continue thriving as part of a larger group that is committed to building long-term relationships with customers and communities.”
John O’Hanlon, CEO of Waylands, said: “Cambridge Garage has earned a strong local reputation for reliability and customer care. We’re really looking forward to welcoming both colleagues and customers, and to supporting the team as they continue to do what they do best.
“As a family led business, we place a huge amount of importance on culture, local knowledge and community connections. This acquisition is about building on what’s already there, not changing it. Customers can expect the same friendly faces and the same customer focused approach, whilst also benefitting from increased stock availability and offers from across the Group.”
Commenting on the support received from the advisory team, Simon Stringer, one of the former shareholders of Cambridge Garage, said: “Given we were selling a longstanding business of such family importance, our selection of advisors – their size, fit and energy – was key.
“MHA’s knowledge of the automotive sector and partner-led service was excellent and a great help in our strategic review and preparation. They also provided experienced sector specialists across tax transaction support who added great value to us. MHA managed a very efficient process end to end in challenging geo-political times for us, achieving our objectives.”
The Stringer family’s sister bodyshop business Cambridge ARC was not part of the transaction with Waylands and will continue to be owned by the Stringer family.
Waylands represents Volvo, Polestar, Kia, Honda, OMODA, JAECOO and MG across the South. It won the AM Award Dealer Group of the Year award for the sixth consecutive year in 2025 and Used Car Dealer Group of the Year for the first time at the Car Dealer Used Car Awards in 2025.
