AM Awards | The 2019 categories

Entries for the 2019 awards are now open.

If you would like to enter the awards go to our 'award categories and entry process' page. 

(* audited by BDO)

Best Use of Social Media

Demonstrate how you engage with consumers in a strong, innovative way that creates a tangible benefit to your business.

Open to dealers and manufacturers.

Best Website

Is yours more than merely an online shop window? Entrants should consider their website to be a multi-faceted tool, keeping consumers informed, promoting your products and services effectively,  and enticing buyers to further their relationship with you.

Open to dealers.

Best Marketing Strategy

Marketing should help you to build your brand as well as to find new customers and help you to grow sales in the short term.

Open to dealers.

Best in Customer Service

Entrants should have a customer-centric culture and take pride in strong satisfaction scores, but never allow complacency and react robustly to fix the situation whenever things go wrong.

Open to dealers.

Best Aftersales Team*

Open to franchised workshops and independent repairers, entrants will have high performing teams of service reception, workshop control and technical staff who deliver great returns for the dealership.

Sponsor: Gtechniq

Best Sales Team (new and/or used)

This award acknowledges the power of multiple individuals working together towards an acknowledged goal in a new and/or used car or van sales department in the last 12 months.

Sponsor: Barclays Partner Finance

Best Fleet or Local Business Dealer*

We’re looking for entries from motor retailers that provide top quality service levels to either the large fleet or SME business markets. 

The Community Hero award

We want to recognise dealerships which are deeply rooted in their communities, which support local causes and organisations, and which have a culture of giving something back.

Open to dealers.

Most Improved Dealership*

Driving a business from being good to becoming great or turning around a poor operation deserves recognition, so share your story with our judges.

Best Used Car Dealer (independent non-franchised)*

Retailing second-hand cars demands a host of skills and processes, from stock acquisition and preparation to marketing and protecting profit margins. We seek entries from independents and car supermarkets that show strength in all these aspects.

Best Used Car Dealer (franchised)*

Pre-owned cars should not be the poor relations for franchised dealers keen to win this award. Entrants should evidence strength in stock acquisition and preparation, marketing, sales and profits.

Best New Dealership*

Open to outlets opened or brands added since January 2017, this award aims to celebrate the early wins of young businesses and recognise the effort and talent required to make a success of start-ups.

Best Dealership*

This category is open to single-site owner operators and to best performing dealerships within a larger group network, to reward strong performance across sales, marketing, aftersales and administration.

Best Dealer Group (up to 10 sites)*

Brand specialists or regional heroes apply here. Entrants should be high quality businesses, with strong sales and aftersales results, a culture of success and the financial rewards to show for it.

Best Dealer Group (more than 10 sites)*

Here we recognise great large groups. Entrants should be high quality businesses, with strong sales and aftersales results, a culture of success and the financial rewards to show for it.

Used Car of the Year

Selected by a combination of readers’ and judges’ votes.

New Car of the Year

Selected by a combination of readers’ and judges’ votes.

Franchise Partner of the Year

Selected by a combination of readers’ and judges’ votes.

Best New Product and Service

Open to industry suppliers who are helping to change dealers’ fortunes. We expect to see innovation and measurable results, including examples of beneficial use by your customers.

Headline Awards

The AM People Investor of the Year

Companies which regard the development of their workforce as an investment, not a cost, should enter this category. The judges will want to see your training and development strategy, understand how skills are developed and see evidence of the resultant benefits to the business.

Dealer Principal/General Manager of the Year

The judges will be looking for a dealer principal or general manager who has demonstrated excellent leadership skills, ambition, drive and innovative thinking that has helped the dealership achieve business objectives such as sales volumes, profitability, customer satisfaction/loyalty and employee engagement/retention.

Supplier of the Year

Open to entries from industry suppliers making a significant difference to dealers’ fortunes. Entries will be reviewed and voted upon by readers’ and the judging panel.

Dealer Group of the Year

The ultimate accolade for the best business performance and culture. Selected by the judging panel.

Manufacturer of the Year

This award recognises vehicle manufacturers which are developing and delivering the best products and technology consumers could want now and in the near future. Nominated and voted upon by the judging panel.

Business Leader of the Year

To recognise strong leadership, vision, visibility and accountability at the highest level. Nominated and voted upon by the judging panel.

AM Hall of Fame

We recognise someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the automotive industry during their career. The recipient is chosen by AM’s editor Tim Rose and editor-in-chief Stephen Briers.

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