Newcastle car dealership comes onto the market

Car dealership Lyles of Newcastle has been put up for sale by its owner, who is retiring.

The firm, based on the West Road in Newcastle, is one of the oldest independent car dealerships in the North East, with more than 70 years of business under its belt.

Owner Brian Lyle took over the firm from his father William in the early 1980s and currently employs ten members of staff.

William Lyle originally started the dealership in the 1930s, when he moved from Scotland to Newcastle during the Depression. Current owner Brian joined the business as a mechanic in the 1960s.

For decades, the dealership was one of the country's top Alfa Romeo dealers, before becoming independent and selling and servicing a range of different vehicles.

Lyle has already received interest in the company. "I have just come to the point where I have had enough and would much rather be spending more of my time in Portugal," he explained.

"We have already received interest in the site from a number of different people. Although I would like it to continue as a dealership, we just don't know what will happen. It's certainly sad that I am unable to keep it in family ownership, but the time has come to sell it on," he added.