Mansfield car retailer scoops top award at Auto Trader ceremony

Cedar Specialist Cars has been named Retailer of the Year by Auto Trader.

It is the second time that the Mansfield-based business has taken home one of the prestigious awards,winning Rising Star of the Year award in 2019 after just one year in operation.

This year Cedar Specialist Cars beat off more than 13,000 retailers to claim the most prestigious honour at the 13th annual Auto Trader Retailers Awards.

Speaking on the win, managing director Sean Cantillon said: “We are elated to have achieved this award. Having worked for the big car dealer PLCs for nearly 20 years - to step out and go it alone is one of the scariest things I’ve done.”

The Retailer of the Year award is the highest accolade a retailer can achieve and is awarded to those who demonstrate the very best practices in retail and consistently deliver top-quality customer experience across the whole car buying journey.

In total, 18 winners were announced in seven categories during the ceremony which, as a result of Covid-19, was completely digital for the first time in the awards’ history. It was hosted by Auto Trader chief executive officer Nathan Coe and sales director Rebecca Clark.

Nathan Coe said: “The automotive industry is by nature, incredibly resilient, but we’ve been amazed at just how successful some retailers have been at adapting to the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19. We’ve seen examples of businesses who have truly gone the extra mile to respond to changing consumer behaviour and expectations, not just making the car buying process easier and more efficient, but safer too. We’ve also been hugely inspired by leadership teams that have taken equally bold steps to protect their colleagues and to instil rewarding and collaborative working cultures.

“In this climate we think it’s more important than ever to step back and to recognise true retailing excellence. And based on the most comprehensive judging process, there is no doubt that this year’s winners are incredibly deserving, including Cedar Specialist Cars, and truly represent the very best of our industry.”