The Donalds Garage Group is one of East Anglia’s longest servicing car dealerships with four locations and eight franchises throughout the region, representing three Mazda sites, Volvo, Kia and MG dealerships. We are part of the Central Garage Group of Companies, a group of franchised and non-franchised dealerships who sell and maintain cars and motorbikes. In 2021 Central Garage Group works with 12 franchises in 5 locations with 8 limited companies. The group is privately owned by the Hamblin family, which was originally founded by Bob Stanley Hamblin post WW2. Their Uppingham site is the original dealership Bob left to his son Peter, who then went on to grow the company over the decades changing the automotive focus from haulage to cars and motorbikes. Peter’s daughter Sam joined the company in the late 1990s and took over the reins in 2015.

‘Donalds Garage’ was originally formed by Noel John Charles Donald during the 30’s. Gradually establishing itself and growing in Peterborough over two decades, the limited company was registered on 18th August 1950. Peter Hamblin bought the business in the 60’s, and the Peterborough branch remains the original site of the Donalds Garage Group today. Over the years we have seen many brands fill the showroom floor, as was normal for the motor trade in those days, with Austin, Slinger, Hyundai and Datsun throughout the 60’s and 70’s and Daihatsu, Subaru and Alfa Romeo in more recent decades. In December 1980 Donalds joined the Mazda franchise family in Peterborough and in 2019 also welcomed MG to Peterborough.

The Donalds Garage Group grew after Peter Hamblin acquired two further dealerships in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds in 2004.  In 2020 Donalds Group will have been working with the Mazda franchise for over 40 years and are very proud to be one of the longest-serving dealership groups in their network, currently totalling 3 Mazda dealerships.

The Volvo franchise was added alongside Mazda at the Ipswich site on West End Road in 2009 and the two franchises soon outgrew their premises. In November 2016 Sam Hamblin took the opportunity to buy some land in the new Futura Park development in the town and the Donalds team went on to develop and open two state-of-the-art flagship showrooms, which opened in the summer of 2018.

Donalds Volvo has thrice been named Volvo Regional Dealer of the year and in 2020 Donalds Ipswich beat off nationwide competition to be named ‘Mazda Dealer of the Year’ after finishing 1st in the dealer league – marking the Ipswich branch as the best performing Mazda dealership in the country.

Many of the people working within Donalds Garage Group have dedicated their motor trade career to the group and their hard work and determination has contributed to the Group’s success and longevity over the years. We are confident to say that when you visit a Donalds Garage dealership you will receive a friendly and professional service that you can rely on year after year.