BMW IS changing its dealer franchise in Galway city, with Tom Hogan Motors at Ballybrit taking over from Barry Motors.
Hogans will take on the franchise for the premium German brand from next Monday, July 14th. It is currently a Toyota and Lexus dealership.
Barry Motors is the latest BMW dealer to part company with the German premium car brand. The firm will see out the term of its contract, which will expire at the end of September.
It’s the latest move in a major review by BMW of its dealer network in Ireland.
In April, Maxwell Motors of Blackrock was the first dealer to leave the network as part of the new contract negotiations. Other recent changes to the network have seen the appointment of Colm Quinn as a new franchise dealer for the brand in Athlone.
Barry Motors, part of the Higgins Group, became a BMW dealer in 1988, initially operating out of the Coen Complex on the Headford Road, before moving in 1994 to new premises at Galway Retail Park. Most recently it moved to the Motorpark, where all the franchises in the Higgins group were combined at one premises on the Headford Road.
The parent company of Barry Motors, Snipe Investments, which also operates Higgins Motorpark in Galway, reported an operating profit before tax and interest of €656,385 for the year to November 2007.
BMW Automotive Ireland reported an operating profit of €7.36 million to the end of 2006. The brand sold 3,295 cars up to the end of June this year, with 2.6 per cent of the market. However, it’s expected to benefit from the new carbon emissions-based tax regime, with its diesel models in particular falling significantly in price.