Our History

Founded in 1949 by Peter Evans, Pentre Motors began in an ex Army Nissen hut in Llanrhaeadr. Peter Evans, the son of a local farmer, started his business fixing tractors, cars and other mechanical equipment.

The business grew through word of mouth and in 1958, Peter Evans, who had previously worked as a driver, purchased his first bus. It was a 29 seater costing £200, which he offered for private hire and to take children to and from school. That part of the business was to grow with the acquisition of Rhyl United Coaches in 1969. So much so, that by 1973, the company had 29 coaches stationed in Llanrhaeadr and Rhyl.

The garage business also flourished, and in 1959, Peter Evans moved to the current Pentre Motors site in Llanrhaeadr, on the main Ruthin to Denbigh road. The garage had Esso petrol pumps, selling fuel at just 2s 8d (around 13p) a gallon. A showroom was added, selling Austin and Morris cars. At that time a small Austin A35 would set the customer back £550, while an A55 pickup would come in at £800. In the early 1970s, Austin joined forces with Rover to become Austin Rover.

In 1998 Pentre Motors switched from Rover to become a Ford dealership. Today it has 22 staff across the garage, showroom and stores and is still very much a family firm. The petrol pumps are gone from Llanrhaeadr, but the Evans family have celebrated over 55 years with Esso, through their garage in Ruthin – Dyffryn Service Station.

Having grown from its humble beginnings in a Nissen hut, Pentre Motors is proud to have stayed true to the traditional values that Peter Evans founded the business with, treating each customer as an individual and taking the time to understand their needs.

Over the years the Pentre Motors name has become synonymous with quality service. Far away from the hard-sell or corporate approach of some larger and franchised garages, Pentre Motors focuses squarely on meeting its customers needs. Selling hundreds of new and used cars a year, Pentre Motors’ sales staff are salaried, rather than on commission, so customers can be sure of honest advice and quality service at a fair price.

Pentre Motors’ service garage is one of the busiest and well-regarded in the area, offering MOTs, diagnostics and even a valet service. Each used car sold by Pentre Motors is subjected to thorough inspection and testing by the experienced mechanics, expertly valeted and endorsed with a warranty.