About Us

At St Leonards Motors, we have a vast range of New and Used vehicles offers for you to decide from at any of our dealerships. Boasting over 60 years trading experience, the St Leonards Motors team are fully equipped to assist you in choosing your perfect car that will suit all of your requirements.

Ensuring your car is running perfectly is our main concern when you visit St Leonards Motors. Our team of manufacturer-trained technicians ensure that your car is running at its optimum and work with cutting-edge diagnostic and repair equipment to make sure that your car is off the road for as little time as possible meaning that you can drive away full of confidence.

As one of the leading car dealers across East Sussex, Kent and East Anglia, everyone at St Leonards Motors prides themselves on the excellent customer service we offer. Whether your buying your dream vehicle or getting a service, all of our staff are on hand to make the process as quick and simple as possible.

GENDER PAY GAP REPORT FOR 2019 - 2020
Our History

The SLM Group began as the vision of father and son team Graham and Brian Wakeford. Following the completion of his engineering training, Brian joined retired banker Graham in the purchase of a small garage on The Green, St Leonards-on Sea in 1958. On 1st January 1959, St Leonards Motors opened for business for the very first time.

The fledgling enterprise expanded quickly, and in 1960 Brian and Graham were joined by John, Brian's brother, a retired pilot, and aircraft engineer at Vickers Aviation. That same year the business became St Leonards Motors Ltd under the control of the Wakeford family, who still own the company today.

In 1972 Bo Peep Filling Station was opened and the main Fiat garage opened in 1973. At that time SLM, as they began to be known, also ran petrol stations at the original site on The Green along with others at Silverhill, Queens Road, Red Lake, and Sidley in Bexhill.
Garage on the Green, St Leonards
Queens Road Filling Station, St Leonards
Silverhill Filling Station, St Leonards
The Gloster Meteor, a plane flown by John Wakeford in the RAF, outside the Bo Peep Filling Station and Fiat Dealership, St Leonards
The Bo Peep Filling Station, St Leonards
The Gloster Meteor at Churchwood Drive, St Leonards
In 1974 the West Marina site unveiled it's most unique and recognisable landmark, a Gloster Meteor, which was purchased from the Ministry of Defence, underlining John Wakeford's love for all things to do with aviation. He actually flew a Meteor whilst serving in the RAF. In 1978, Ian Wakeford, son of John, joined the company straight from university.

Over the years SLM continued to expand and in 1979 the company bought Sidley Motors in London Road, Bexhill, which originally operated as a Fiat dealership until 1983 when it became a full Toyota operation.

In 1986 the company, and the aircraft, relocated to Churchwood Drive. In 1989 it split off its Bodyshop which finally settled in Brunel Road. In 1994 the site opened a Nissan dealership alongside the Fiat site, and in 1995 opened a Vauxhall site on Sedlescombe Road North

In 2005, having outgrown the site in Bexhill the company moved its Toyota business into the same location as the Vauxhall site, and soon after acquired a second Toyota site in Uckfield.

In 2011, we opened our first dealership in Tunbridge Wells with a full Vauxhall dealership. During this time the site in Bexhill remained within the family as a specialist used car site. Recognising the success of this site, the company decided to introduce a large dedicated used car site in Churchwood Drive, St Leonards, and Sussex Used Cars opened its doors for business in 2013. The beloved aircraft was donated to a museum in the north of England but remains a fond memory of locals in and around Hastings
SLM Nissan Hastings
Vauxhall Hastings
SLM Toyota Hastings
SLM Toyota Uckfield
Vauxhall Tunbridge Wells
Barnard and Brough Nissan
SLM Toyota Lowestoft
SLM Toyota Norwich
SLM Toyota Attleborough
In 2016, the company took ownership of Barnard and Brough Ltd, adding another Nissan site in Haywards Heath to the group. Barnard and Brough is actually the oldest Nissan dealership in the entire country! With the purchase of Barnard and Brough Ltd and alongside the already titled St Leonards Motors, the company became the name it holds today, The SLM Group.

In 2017, The SLM Group increased in size once more and purchased Dingles Motor Group based in East Anglia. This added a further three Toyota dealerships at SLM Norwich, SLM Attleborough, SLM Lowestoft and Lexus Authorised Repairer to the group, plus a second Bodyshop in Norwich.

Mark Phillips became Managing Director in 2019, after Ian Wakeford made the well-earned decision to take early retirement after 41 years of great service and commitment running the family business. Mark is accompanied by Gus Wakeford, Jason Barlow and Will Woods to make up the board of directors for the SLM Group.

SLM Group now operates sites in East Sussex, Kent and East Anglia. As of 2022, the family group is comprised of 5 Toyota dealerships, 2 Vauxhall dealerships, 2 Nissan dealerships, 2 used cars sites SLM Select and Sussex Used Cars, plus two Body Repair Centres.

About Us

Our History

Garage on the Green, St Leonards

Queens Road Filling Station, St Leonards

Silverhill Filling Station, St Leonards

The Gloster Meteor, a plane flown by John Wakeford in the RAF, outside the Bo Peep Filling Station and Fiat Dealership, St Leonards

The Bo Peep Filling Station, St Leonards

The Gloster Meteor at Churchwood Drive, St Leonards

SLM Nissan Hastings

Vauxhall Hastings

SLM Toyota Hastings

SLM Toyota Uckfield

Vauxhall Tunbridge Wells

Barnard and Brough Nissan

SLM Toyota Lowestoft

SLM Toyota Norwich

SLM Toyota Attleborough

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