A landmark building in Hove is about to see a change of use after 77 years.

The Art Deco building on Kingway between Roman Road and Saxon Road has been a Caffyns showroom and workshop since 1934 but times have changed and trading from the site has become difficult.

Parking restrictions and heavy traffic have it impractical for car sales.

Caffyns has already moved the Rover and Volkswagen franchises. Rover is now at the firm's Preston Road site and Volkswagen has been taken over by another firm. No jobs were lost.

The firm's parts centre will stay at Kingsway until better premises can be found.

Regional director Martin Blackaby said: "It will be a sad occasion when Caffyns leaves the site but it has become impractical.

"The design of vehicle showrooms has changed since the Thirties.

"The move has been planned for a long time.

Caffyns was founded in Eastbourne in 1864 and started selling cars in 1901. Now the group has a workforce of more than 800 people.

The Hove showroom was designed for commercial vehicles and it concentrated on lorries and vans until the Seventies.

Mr Blackaby said: "The move from Hove is part of our long-term strategy. Over the years we have been selling and acquiring businesses to fit with our plans.

"We have been moving out of sites like Hove, which are no longer suitable for the purpose they were built for.

"Basically, we need more modern and better sites.

"This has been on the cards for about five years but when the parking restrictions were increased it became more urgent."

When the showroom was built, the architects employed some innovative techniques, including a metal frame. But 77 years on, Hove seafront has taken its toll and the fabric of the building is now in a sorry state. Mr Blackaby said it would need to be propped up with scaffolding and supports until its future could be decided.

The firm has two other buildings in Art Deco style, one in Haywards Heath and the other in Worthing.

Caffyns is a family business run by chief executive Simon Caffyn and his father Alan, who is chairman.

Mr Blackaby said: "The face of motor retailing is changing fast.

"If you count up the number of dealerships in Brighton and Hove you will find there are not nearly as many as there were ten years ago. There has been a lot of consolidation and Caffyns has recognised this and been able to remain a successful business.

"We have a lot of faith in the future of the car business."