VERTU Motors is acquiring the three Land Rover dealerships in a £31m deal.

The Co-operative Group Motors dealerships, in addition to a used car site, will operate as a new division within Gateshead-based Vertu, headed up by current operations manager Jatinder Aujla.

Vertu said the Albert Farnell dealerships had a consistent record of profitability and cash generation.

In 2012 the businesses posted revenues of approximately £113m and operating profit of £3.9m.

"We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Farnell, a dealership group with over 65 years' history in Yorkshire,” said Vertu chief executive Robert Forrester. 

"The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in its first full year, is a high quality business and has a leading franchise in a large market area. We welcome Jatinder Aujla, the current head of Farnell, and his colleagues to the group, and I am particularly pleased that Jatinder will head the newly established division and report to me."

Mr Forrester added that since Vertu was established in 2006, its strategy has been to build a "highly respected UK automotive retail group by leveraging our scalable business model to acquire dealerships with high potential.

"We have grown the business to 96 sites at the end of February 2013, partnering with many leading motor manufacturers, selling close to 95,000 vehicles a year," he said.