Franchising A WHEEL OPPORTUNITY Discover what the automotive industry offers when it comes to franchises WORDS TRACEY LATTIMORE F rom chauffeurs and vehicle hire to auto repair and hand car-wash services, there are plenty of franchise opportunities in the automotive industry. And when you consider that there are currently 34.7 million cars on the UK's roads according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, it's clear that it's an industry that's always going to be in demand. This vibrant sector generates thousands of jobs and business opportunities - cars, vans and taxis need valeting and keeping in good service with spare parts, while many people are running their cars longer these days, meaning there's more need for repair and general maintenance. The bigger types of automotive franchises are in car dealership and vehicle hire. In January 2017, Ford had the most car dealership franchise networks in the UK with 475, followed by Vauxhall (234) and Peugeot (179). As a whole, the transport and vehicle services category 117