Dennis Horton & Son Ltd was established in Washingborough, near Lincoln by Mr Dennis Horton and his wife, Mary, in 1954. Now on the third generation of the family to be in charge, Oliver Horton (Dennis’s grandson) is the Managing Director, who runs the Skoda site, while Katie Freeman, Oliver's fiancee, runs the SEAT franchise.
The company started off by selling petrol and carrying out servicing and repairs on a wide variety of cars and in 1960, the company moved across the road to new premises, with a showroom, comprehensively equipped workshops and petrol forecourt. Just three years later, Dennis was offered the chance to become the local dealer for a relatively new-to-the-market but quirky German brand, BMW. However, by 1967, Dennis and Steve had become tired of making the weekly trek to Portsmouth for spares and the noticeably poor manufacturer back-up and they decided to relinquish the franchise. Is it not amazing how perceptions can alter?
The business continued to grow throughout the 1970s and 1980s and, in early 1990, Steve Horton spotted a feature on the BBC's ‘Top Gear’ programme about the new Škoda Favorit. Within just a few days, the telephone rang and Steve was offered the chance to take on the Škoda franchise for the Lincoln area. Naturally, he felt somewhat reluctant to begin with, not least because he was regarded as the 'Number One' Škoda joke-teller in Lincoln at the time. However, after road-testing the Favorit and giving it and the company a thorough inspection, he was sold on the concept and the rest, as they say, is history.
The company has continuued to expand and with its developments has come remarkable success, when, in 2006, Dennis Horton & Son was voted 'Skoda Retailer of the Year' out of 140 participating nationwide dealers. It was both an exciting development for the company, as well as exceptionally humbling for Steve and his family team. Yet, it set the company on a search. After all, how could a business such as this, possessing such high visibility and garnering such a strong repute, remain stock-still?
Put simply, it could not and, always keen to grow the business, Oliver and Katie sought another complementary franchise in the area. Since the demise of the local SEAT dealer, the brand sorely lacked a presence in the County Town. However, there was more to the association, not least the Volkswagen Group connection and the sporting stance of the SEAT brand. Drawn to its zesty and colourful Spanish flair, combined with Volkswagen Group's build quality and reliability, the brand was a lot more than just a logical fit with the existing Skoda business.
The doors to the new dealership opened officially in late April 2010. The premises is located at Roman Way, Gateway Park, South Hykeham, Lincoln, and Katie and her team have settled in well and extend the typical Horton Family welcome to SEAT customers old and new. From having been a brand that was shoved from pillar to post in the past, SEAT has a new, secure and more dedicated base in Lincoln. Some would say, not before time
