_____________________________________________________________________________________ Mr
Clutch Autocentres
Mr Clutch Autocentres is nationally recognized as one of the premier autocentre groups in England. With over 40 branches across England and Wales, the company offers a comprehensive range of garage services, including the fitting of clutches, brakes, and manual transmissions. Additionally, Mr Clutch Autocentres can carry out full car servicing, general repairs and, in the majority of centres, MOT testing – including Class 7 MOTs in selected locations. Sef Yussuf, Co-Owner and Director of Operations, shares insights into Mr Clutch Autocentres’ evolution and adaptability in the face of a changing industry landscape.
“ The business was started in 1978 by my two older brothers, Joe and Will. I was only 14 at the time, so I would help out on Saturdays and during school holidays. As the business grew, they specialized and branded themselves as Mr Clutch. They soon moved to a larger garage that could accommodate three-to-four ramps and a small team. Business really started to take off from there. Joe had the idea to franchise, while Will, who was our engineer, figured out the processes involved from a more technical side. I handled the administrative side, while Joe focused on sales. By 1984, we needed bigger premises again to support our growth, which led us to expand to open a garage in Croydon, where we were doing around 120 clutches a week.
“ For context, in the 1980s, an average car would require three-to-four clutches over its lifetime. However, as clutches became more dependable, our sales began to decline, prompting us to further invest in Mr Clutch. From the mid-1980s onward, we began opening more garages through franchising and company-owned branches, mainly in smaller premises. As clutch-related work reduced, we explored expanding our offerings
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