End of the line for Riossi

There will be no Riossi dealerships left in the country by the end of the month, the firm announced on Thursday, June 5.

Five of the chain’s shops have been sold and the others will be closed by the end of the month if no buyers come forward.

Infinity Motorcycles, a clothing and accessories chain, has bought Riossi’s branches at Farnborough, Clapham, Purley, London’s Great Portland Street and Southampton.

Riossi’s parent company Dixon Motors issued a statement to MCN on June 5, saying it is negotiating with potential buyers for the other 15 stores.

But the statement added that ” should negotiations be unsuccessful, these stores will close on June 30, 2003 ” .

The move comes just over a year after Dixon Motors was bought out by Lombard, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland, for £110 million.

Dixon Motors chairman Paul Dixon said: ” Disposing of the motorcycle division and concentrating on the core car retail business was always part of the strategy when Lombard acquired Dixon Motors. ”

The statement adds that customers needing advice should call Riossi customer services on 01405-744666.

Full details will be published in MCN, on sale Wednesday June 11. Discuss this story on the News discussion board by clicking on the link on the right.