CMe Automotive Is Featured in Motor Trader
CMe Automotive features in Motor Trader’s July 2026 issue, celebrating smart dealer investment and industry growth.
Have you read the latest issue of Motor Trader digital magazine yet?
If not, you’ll want to grab a copy. The July 2026 edition of this leading automotive industry magazine includes coverage of the MT Independent Dealer Awards 2026, one of the motor trade’s most recognised automotive awards, and we’re proud to say CMe Automotive played a part in it, both as a sponsor and as part of the story.
We Were There to Present an Award
This year, CMe Automotive sponsored the Dealer Investment Project of the Year category, one of the standout categories at this year’s automotive awards. Our CEO, Charisse Thomas, took to the stage to present it to the very deserving winners: Car Planet Trading.
There’s something special about being the one to hand over an award like this. It’s not just a trophy moment, it’s a chance to publicly recognise the kind of graft, risk-taking, and long-term thinking that doesn’t always get seen from the outside. For Charisse, and for all of us at CMe, presenting this particular award felt like a natural fit. Investment and growth are exactly what we help dealers achieve every day, so celebrating a business that’s done it so successfully was a genuine highlight.
The Story Behind the Win
It was a genuine pleasure to celebrate a business that’s achieved so much in such a short space of time. Car Planet was founded in 2022 with just 30 vehicles and a single site. Fast forward to today, with around 2,000 vehicles in stock at any one time. That kind of growth in under three years is rare, and it’s exactly the kind of story the industry should be shouting about.
Their win wasn’t just about scale, though. The judging panel highlighted a significant capital investment programme carried out during the 2025 judging period, built around two key pillars: physical infrastructure and proprietary technology.
On the infrastructure side, that meant developing and optimising a 50-ramp Mega Preparation Centre, a serious commitment that speaks to how seriously the business takes efficiency and throughput at volume. On the technology side, Car Planet built out an in-house ecosystem covering dealer management and CRM, logistics management, and call intelligence and sales performance. In other words, they didn’t just grow bigger, they grew smarter, putting the systems in place to support that growth sustainably.
The judging panel described it as a highly impressive, investment-led transformation, with clear financial growth and strategic reinvestment into infrastructure and technology. Given the scale of change and the volumes and profits achieved in such a short time, it’s easy to see why Car Planet stood out from the rest of the entries.
Why This Award Matters to Us
Being able to hand over this particular award felt like a real full-circle moment for us at CMe Automotive. We’ve spent over 12 years supporting dealers across the UK, helping them grow through smarter marketing, better data, and stronger digital presence.
Seeing a business like Car Planet scale the way it has, from 30 vehicles to over 1,250 sold monthly, is a reminder of why we do what we do. Investment, when it’s targeted and strategic, works. Whether that’s investment in physical infrastructure, proprietary technology, or marketing and customer acquisition, the dealers who commit to it and follow through tend to be the ones who come out on top.
It’s also a reminder that awards like this aren’t just nice recognition, they’re genuinely useful benchmarks for the rest of the industry. If you’re a dealer principal or part of a leadership team wondering what smart, sustainable growth actually looks like in practice, stories like Car Planet’s are worth studying closely.
So, What Else Is in the Issue?
Beyond the awards coverage, the July issue is packed with the kind of automotive industry news anyone in the motor trade should have on their radar. It’s the sort of read that gives you a genuine snapshot of where the industry stands right now, who’s investing, who’s innovating, and what trends are shaping the months ahead.
For us, it was particularly rewarding to see the awards feature laid out in full, with photography from the night alongside the judging panel’s commentary on why Car Planet’s entry stood out. It’s a great example of Motor Trader doing what it does best: shining a light on the businesses and people actually driving the industry forward, rather than just reporting on it from a distance.
Why Should You Read It?
If you’re a dealer, work in automotive marketing, or simply keep an eye on where the industry is heading, this issue is worth your time. It’s not every day you get a front-row seat to see who’s investing smartly, scaling sustainably, and setting the bar for others to follow.
Reading about dealers like Car Planet isn’t just interesting, it’s genuinely useful. Their approach to combining infrastructure investment with proprietary technology offers a blueprint that other independents, and even larger groups, could learn from. And with the pace the industry is moving at, staying switched on to what’s working for others is one of the simplest ways to stay competitive yourself.
There’s also something to be said for supporting the trade press more generally. Publications like Motor Trader magazine do the work of bringing the industry together, celebrating the businesses getting it right, and giving the rest of us a benchmark to measure ourselves against. It’s exactly why keeping up with a trusted automotive industry magazine matters, whether you’re chasing growth, inspiration, or simply staying informed.
Have You Read It Yet?
So, back to the original question, have you picked up your copy of Motor Trader’s July 2026 issue yet? If not, now’s a good time to start. Whether you’re after inspiration, industry insight, or just want to see the moment our CEO presented the Dealer Investment Project of the Year award to Car Planet Trading, it’s worth the read.
And if you’re curious about how the right marketing investment could help your dealership tell a growth story of its own, that’s exactly the kind of conversation we love having at CMe Automotive. Get in touch, and let’s talk about what smart, strategic investment could look like for your business.
