Whatever Happened To...

At Christmas, Lôn Parcwr's Redstone Subaru closed. Yesterday, well before Twelfth Night, they put up the finishing touches by blanking off their roadside totem.

In March 2017, Redstone established its Subaru dealership selling new cars in Rhuthun/Ruthin. This was nine years after new car dealer Slater's left town. Subaru was on the site of used car specialists Mobility Nationwide, a business which started in brand new Lôn Parcwr premises in 2004 and which continued to trade alongside Redstone Subaru, at least initially. 

Once again, Rhuthun has no new car dealer. So, what's happened? 

• Since Redstone, there's been a Subaru new car dealership established at Sandycroft, only a red stone's throw away. Prior, Redstone had been the only Subaru dealer in North Wales other than on Anglesey.

• No one buys Subaru any more, certainly not your average Joe and Jo Bloggs. Compared to competitors, they seem to be too expensive, too fuel hungry, these days too sluggish and they do not feature in the top of the pops for reliability. Since the boy racer cars of the past, they only now appeal to wealthy landowner types and to be honest how many of them are there. 

• There's now plenty of choice in the environmentally dubious and over-blown waste-of-metal SUV category. Subaru has been left behind.

Subaru's website earlier this week showed a Rhuthun dealership, centre, and one at Sandycroft. That at Rhuthun is now expunged

Latterly, Redstone opened Mondays to Fridays, but only by appointment on Saturdays.

Also now removed from the official Subaru website

The Redstone multi-make service centre (across the road) continues to trade.