THE long wait is over for one of South Lakeland's successful dealerships as it officially welcomes customers to purpose-built new premises in Kendal this weekend.

Pye Motors celebrates the move to its prestigious new showroom and service centre on the corner of Mintbridge Road and Shap Road with coffee and wine for customers in state of the art facilities.

As well as being able to browse both the selection of new and used vehicles at leisure, visitors this weekend will also have the chance to view a pre-production model of the forthcoming Focus ST weeks before its launch in the UK.

David Swallow, branch manager, said: "We are proud to be able to offer a modern environment from which our staff will be able to provide all our customers with the quality of service that they rightfully demand.

"I'm sure that all who visit us for our open weekend will agree our partners who designed and built the dealership have done a stunning job."

The move to new premises has been a long one for Pye Motors, which celebrates its 80th birthday this year.

After searching for several years, the site that was eventually to become the new Kendal home for the business became available over 12 months ago.

Since then, Pye Motors have worked closely with architects and local contractors to build the new double height showroom and service department.

As well as the opportunity to provide customers with the space to browse used stock on an extended forecourt and view the latest models within the showroom itself, extra facilities now mean Pye Motors' parts and service departments play an instrumental role in the dealership.

Qualified staff, including Nigel Hayward - one of the first mechanics in the country to achieve Ford's Master Technician level, will provide servicing, repairs, valeting and MOTs as well as a new Rapid Fit service to make sure commercial vehicles spend as little time as possible away from the road.

Stewart Ette, sales team leader at Pye Motors, added: "Our new dealership is a more prominent site on Kendal's map and our sales team are ready to welcome customers old and new to the Mintbridge Road premises."