Taggarts Motor Group is one of the best-known names in the Scottish motor trade. The company has come a long way since it was founded by James Taggart and his friend Robert McMillan in 1896. From its early days as a cycle shop in Motherwell, the company has grown to become one of the most important dealerships in Scotland and one of the most progressive.

In 1970, the company represented one brand; Austin Rover, with outlets in Motherwell, East Kilbride, Airdrie and Carluke. Throughout the seventies, the company went through a period of growth and expansion which resulted in the acquisition of nine Austin Rover dealerships.

By 1986, Taggarts started to expand the product range and opened a new Fiat dealership in Stepps, shortly followed by a new Jaguar dealership in Maryhill Road, Glasgow. Land Rover soon joined the ever-growing product range.

In 1991, when the country entered into a recession, the company had to downsize its’ operation and closed dealerships in Fife, Falkirk, Stepps and Milngavie. This re-alignment left Taggarts with two main sites: Glasgow – with Jaguar and Land Rover and Motherwell – representing Austin Rover, Jaguar and Land Rover. After the recession, the Motherwell dealership was re-built with the addition of a new Renault franchise. In 2011 Mazda replaced the Renault franchise and in 2003, when Rover started to decline, Hyundai came in to share its’ showroom and eventually took over when Rover production ceased. Volvo then joined the group following a takeover and joined both dealerships in Glasgow and Motherwell.

In February 2003 Taggarts was acquired by Lookers plc, one of the UK’s leading motor retail and distribution groups for new cars used cars and motorcyles. This acquisition took Lookers into Scotland for the first time and confirmed the Lookers Group as the largest retailer of Jaguar and Land Rover in the Premier Automotive Group’s northern region.

In 2009 Peugeot joined the Motherwell dealership and in July 2011 Nissan replaced the Mazda franchise in Motherwell.

Today, the company has gone from strength to strength offering a diverse range of quality brands in state-of-the-art showrooms in Glasgow and Motherwell covering the franchises of Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Nissan, Hyundai and Peugeot along with a group bodyshop and parts wholesaling business.