One of the leading names in luxury vehicle modification is accelerating its continued expansion after agreeing a deal for a new base in Buckinghamshire, commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond has announced.
Urban Automotive – a bespoke modifier of top automotive brands including Land Rover, Mercedes, Lamborghini and Rolls Royce – has signed a 10-year lease on a 42,765 sq ft warehouse unit at Michigan Drive, Tongwell, Milton Keynes.
The company, which is well known for supplying a variety of celebrities and sports stars with customised vehicles, is expanding its operations following recently announced investment from its European distributor AM Group Holdings.
Urban Automotive was advised by Eamon Kennedy, senior partner and head of industrial and logistics at Kirkby Diamond, and Paul Quy, partner and head of Milton Keynes Agency at Kirkby Diamond.
Kirkby Diamond has been involved in Urban Automotive’s successful journey for many years, previously acquiring a 31,833 sq ft unit in Tongwell, a 14,000 sq ft unit in Blakelands and a 20,000 sq ft unit in Roade.
Eamon said: “We’ve had an exciting journey working with Urban Automotive, helping the company to grow and become one of the world’s leading names in luxury vehicle modification by identifying premises that perfectly suit their requirements.
“The unit at Tongwell has undergone a significant refurbishment, led by landlord Mileway, and provides Urban Automotive with the ideal premises from which to expand its operations further with new investment and a growing global market for modified luxury vehicles.”
Simon Dearn, CEO of Urban Automotive, said: “The acquisition of Tongwell 42 as our new Design, R&D & Manufacturing facility marks a major milestone for Urban Automotive and the first step in our next phase of growth under the AM Group. This investment significantly increases our capacity, allowing us to scale production and better serve our expanding global customer base.”
“More than just a larger facility, this new space has been designed to bring our highly skilled team together in an environment that fosters collaboration, efficiency, and innovation. It allows us to push boundaries in design and craftsmanship while ensuring the highest standards of quality that Urban has become known for.”
Meanwhile, Mark Hannam, head of lease advisory and asset management at Kirkby Diamond, said his team has just concluded a rent review securing a significant rent saving for Urban Automotive at its other base in Tongwell.
Mark said: “We were instructed by the company to deal with its rent review. After extensive negotiations, we secured a rent saving of 15% from the landlord’s initial proposal, achieving a rent we thought rightfully represented the strengths and limitations of the building and location.
“Key to the negotiations was our deep knowledge of the local market, working closely with the industrial agency team and the comparable evidence we retain – information that is not available in the public domain.”
The latest Urban Automotive deal was concluded by Kirkby Diamond’s Industrial & Logistics team. With strategically located offices within the M25 and along the M1/A1 and M11 corridors, the team offers a unique blend of local expertise and regional reach. This combination allows them to provide tailored advice to institutional investors, landlords, developers, and occupiers, positioning them as one of the region’s top-performing property consultancies.