SIR ARNOLD Clark, the Scottish car sales tycoon, has died at the age of 89. In a statement, his family said the businessman had passed away yesterday morning.
The statement said: “He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and a great friend and employer to many. He was an inspiration and the family will continue to carry on his vision but he will be greatly missed.
“We wish to thank all those who have sent messages of condolence and appreciate your kind support.”
Before his death, Clark was the still-active chairman of Europe’s largest independent car retailer.
It owned 200 dealerships across the UK and last year posted profits of £107.2 million on sales of £3.2 billion. The father of 10 had come a long way from his roots in Glasgow’s Townhead.
Clark left school at 14, taking a job as an apprentice shoe-designer with the Co-op.
He enlisted with the RAF towards the end of the Second World War and became a motor mechanics Instructor. In 1948, Clark spent £70 on a Morris Ten-Four, fixed it up and sold it on for a profit. This was a pattern he repeated over the next few years, until he made enough money to open his first showroom in Glasgow’s Park Road in 1954.
The business grew and grew, and by 2017, Clark’s company had interests in the rental market, accident repairs and insurance. In the Sunday Times Rich List in 2016, he was estimated to be worth more than £1bn.
He told the Sunday Herald in 2003: “Trying to make your first £1000 is very difficult, but after that it gets easier.”
By the end of last year, there were just under 10,000 employees at Arnold Clark Automobiles.
The company said in a statement: “Sir Arnold was a truly inspirational business leader and influential public figure. His unsurpassed work ethic and strong family values led him to build a market-leading automotive retailer that continues to go from strength to strength. Sir Arnold’s entrepreneurial ideals continue to be at the heart of the business.”
The Kiltwalk charity also paid tribute. Chief executive Paul Cooney said: “Sir Arnold and the organisation he built have been enormously supportive of Kiltwalk and the growth of the charity was due in no small measure to the kindness and enthusiasm they have shown towards us.”
Clark’s company also supported Glasgow’s old Museum of Transport and then the Riverside Museum. He served as a trustee on the fundraising appeal which raised almost £5m for the gallery. He was also a trustee of a refurbishment appeal that raised £12.9m for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Clark is survived by his second wife, and nine children.
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