The Drive Motor Group in Co Cork has gone into voluntary liquidation, with the loss of 27 jobs, writes MICHAEL McALEER.

The firm opened showrooms at the Blarney Business Park in 2006 incorporating several previous dealer operations in the area: Dennehy’s Cross Garage Ford, Top Car Land Rover and Jaguar Cork.

At its peak it employed a staff of 80 and held franchises for Ford, Peugeot, Nissan, Mazda, Land Rover and Jaguar sales.

In a statement, the group’s directors blamed the current recession, coupled with the drop in new car sales, which were down 63 per cent in the first six months compared with the same period last year.