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Coach Ken Hinkley didn’t hold back in his review of the brutal loss.

BRITAIN’S fourth largest car dealer has axed two brands after shutting another brand as the boss admitted “it was not a simple job”.

Vertu Motors revealed that, following an announcement six months ago, it has completed the rebrand of its Macklin and Bristol Street Motors dealerships across the UK.

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Britain’s fourth largest car dealer has axed two brands[/caption]

Last year, Car Dealer reported that the group – with over 190 dealerships across the UK – decided to eliminate two of its sub-brands, and consequently operate its network under Vertu.

Now it has been revealed by boss Robert Forrester that, six months after the initial announcement, the rebrand has been completed across all the country’s sites.

He said on X: “Today we have rebranded to Vertu across all retail operations for the first time!

“Not a simple job and good luck to all involved.”

This signals an end to the Bristol Street Motors name – one that has been in the motor trade for over 100 years.

Vertu had been using the Macklin Motors name since it first began to expand into Scotland in 2010.

Despite the remaining sites undergoing a rebrand, the group also confirmed that its BMW Mini Barnstaple dealership closed its doors for good.

Existing clients received the decision, informing them that the official last working day would be on March 28.

The email was sent from Anthony Masterson, Group Operations Director, who recommended the Exeter branch as the closest alternative.

His full statement read: “To ensure we continue to provide you with the same first-class service, we are transferring your details to your closest Vertu BMW dealership within our group, Vertu BMW Exeter.

“We will do all we can to make the transition as smooth as possible for you, ensuring you receive the same level of exceptional customer service at Vertu BMW Exeter.”

Previous reviews for the site hailed the excellent customer service and sales team.

One person wrote: “Gave my car it’s first MOT very good service and washed it as well.”

Another put: “Bought a X5 yesterday, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience! A huge thanks to Joe Jordan for his outstanding customer service—he was knowledgeable, patient, and made the whole process smooth and enjoyable.

“From start to finish, everything was handled professionally, and I truly appreciate the effort put in to ensure I got the right car.

“Highly recommend BMW Barnstaple and Joe Jordan if you’re looking for a great experience!”

A third commented: “The staff are excellent at Vertu Barnstaple, always making us feel welcome.

“We have bought about 6 cars from him and every experience has been excellent. Thank you. Definitely 5*”

After the announcement, one disappointed driver took to Facebook.

She posted: “I only found out yesterday that Vertu are closing down this Friday… nearest service now EXETER. Was always so busy so why close down…”

Many have reacted and nearly 100 users have shared their thoughts in the comments.

One person said: “Nice of them to give us so much notice!! I have been using them for 15 years!”

Another put: ” I feel sorry for the staff as they were a great team!!”

Someone else wrote: “BMW Barnstaple were great when they were Westerly. We’ve had four cars from them in the past fifteen years.”

The Sun approached Vertu Motors for comment.

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The closing site was the main BMW dealership for the local area[/caption]

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A TINY mistake on your usual 20p coin could make it a whopping 350 times more valuable.

You will need to look out for one small detail if you want to mint some extra cash.

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20p twenty pence obverse heads over 2012 coin[/caption]

RWB Auctions

The 20p coin that sold for a whopping £70[/caption]

Coins become more valuable if they have a low mintage, meaning not many of them have been created.

That means they’ll be harder to find – but they can earn you more money if you do spot one.

And not all coins need to be shiny and new to sell for a profit.

They can also be worth more if they have an error in the design, such as if they’re missing a small detail.

Something similar happened to one lucky person who sold their regular-looking 20p coin for a whopping £70 at the RWB Auction’s February 2025 sale.

What makes the coin so unique and worth appraisal is that no one knows how old the coin is.

That is because the coin had no date on it – making it incredibly rare.

Such mistakes can happen from time to time and go unnoticed, meaning there is a chance you may have a super rare coin hiding in the change – all you need to do is look for mistakes.

Meanwhile, one of the most popular types of coins to collect is are 50p piece.

This is because of their large surface area, as there is enough space to add new and intricate designs.

A 2019 Kew Gardens 50p went under the hammer on eBay for a whopping £122.09 – 244 times its face value.

The coin, which attracted 13 bids, is one of the most sought-after pieces among coin collectors.

The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, regularly puts limited edition pieces into general circulation.

In some cases, extremely rare 50p pieces have sold for a whopping £950.

Errors make a coin unique, which means they will most likely be worth more, as there a fewer of them.

Even without a misprint, if a coin has a low mintage, there are fewer of them in circulation and so are deemed rare.

As a general rule of thumb, the rarer the coin, the more valuable they are to collectors.

How to sell a rare coin

If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it.

Online platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks.

Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they’ll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier.

They have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash.

When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it’s advisable to meet up in person – make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links.

Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams.

To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction.

This can be done through The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.

Finally, you can sell rare coins on eBay.

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