Background
John Arnold Clark was born in Glasgow.
John Arnold Clark was born in Glasgow.
He joined the Royal Air Force (Royal Air Force) aged 17, and rising through the ranks as he was educated, Clark became a Corporal and a Motor Mechanics Instructor.
In April 2015, the company celebrated its 60th year in business. After leaving the Royal Air Force in the early 1950s, Clark got a job in car rental and saved up his money until he was able to purchase a Morris Ten-Four for £70, and after restoring it, sold it for a profit. Clark started buying and selling cars, opening his first showroom in 1954 in Glasgow"s Park Road.
In December 2003, Clark was knighted, for services to the motor industry, and for his community work in Scotland.
Is now Europe’s largest independently owned family-run car dealership, with over 300 new and used car dealerships spread throughout Great Britain. The company sells over 200,000 cars per year, employs 10,000 people, and has an annual turnover of over £3.5 billion.
The group currently has 23 new car franchises, some trading under the Harry Fairbairn subsidiary. GTG Training was purchased by the Arnold Clark Group in December 2003.
A new custom built conference centre, GTG Training, was officially opened in the regenerated Clydeside area of Glasgow in September 2007.
The 61,000 sq ft (5,700 m2) centre is split into two dedicated sections. The fully operational transport division caters for every aspect in automotive training whilst the Information Technology and business skills division provides a range of business skill training courses and a conference area. There are three GTG training centres.
One in Edinburgh and the most recent in Wolverhampton.
He is chairman and chief executive of the Arnold Clark motor group, which has received the Automotive Management Retailer of the Year award in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Arnold Clark was an official provider of vehicles, vehicle training, fleet storage and valet services for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
