Motor Trade Insider

Optimistic predictions and the same old mistakes

Whilst many car manufacturers are predicting growth this year, the franchised dealer network is nervous at the prospect of having registrations forced upon them in order to enable their car making masters to achieve these growth forecasts. There has been much said in the trade press along the lines of it being hard in retail sales but there still being a potential in used and fleet operations to remain profitable, which kind of flies in the face… [more]
Car dealers need the appliance of science to value their older part-exchanges

For car dealers and car buyers alike, getting the part-exchange right will be more vital this year than in recent times - given the likely dearth of retailable 3 year old examples. With the pivotal 3 year old sector some 500,000 units down customers wishing to trade-in for a new car may be sitting behind the wheel of a far more valuable asset than they might have previously imagined. Dealers will be under pressure to stock their forecourts with… [more]
January’s already proving tougher than expected

The one upside of a downturn (see what I’ve done there?) is that the roads are less busy; well that’s the theory anyway. However I really have noticed in my journeys up and down this green and pleasant land that most of my hold ups seem to be for accidents rather than pure congestion and although I generally get to where I’m going to on time at present I would really rather not and that the roads were as busy as they used to be and that the… [more]
“Challenging market conditions in 2012″ doesn’t really begin to cover it

Car Dealers competing for less business is the likely outcome for 2012 as the downturn looks to have set in for a while yet. Maximising every enquiry will be a vital factor in the success of the business as a result. According to many in the industry car makers are likely to push for registrations putting a lot of pressure on the late plate section of the market and bringing about a reduction in prices for newer examples as a result. This of… [more]
One size definitely does not fit all

One of the biggest challenges facing car dealers in 2012 is competing for a smaller piece of the pie in a shrinking market. With fewer cars and therefore less choice, dealers are going to have their work cut out to be the first choice for consumers with the money to actually buy a car. We often talk about how dealers are “upping the ante” with how they engage with their customers and certainly right across the board, dealers are making a big… [more]
Mild weather, 4WD’s, self-registration and as Renault “consolidate” who will be next?

The unseasonably mild weather in most places is putting some dealers in danger of static 4wd’s which they have bought at a premium in anticipation of the familiar snow which usually greets us at this time of year. The converse to this however is that convertibles are actually selling, although not in great numbers, for canny buyers who believe that buying now will save paying a premium during the spring and summer months (and perhaps are brave… [more]
Car Makers Champions League 2011

Decembers’ new car registration figures are in so who won the league? Who made it into Europe? Who got relegated? We can now take a look at the final table for 2011 and check the standings of the various top 20 manufacturers we have followed throughout the year in the Car Makers Premier League. As the SMMT themselves say 2011 was “challenging” with volumes down 4.4% for the year. “2011 proved to be a challenging year for the UK motor… [more]
Move aside Renault there’s a new kid in town

The Chinese are coming! Well they’re dipping their toes in the car retailing water anyway. With most large car makers and dealer groups looking to exploit the economic spurt happening over in China it’s somewhat ironic that jauntily named Chinese car maker Geely will be coming to a showroom near you come the end of the year. Its ambitious plans include taking on up to 100 brand partners by 2013 and the launch car will be from its strangely… [more]
VW Amarok – basic but still a wolf

I have been driving my new VW Amarok for about 2 months and today I have decided to tell you all about it. Let me start by saying that reviewing cars is not my usual forte but the bods at MTI want a good truck story as winter sets in and as they found out I’d recently got one they asked me what I thought of it, so here goes. If you know anything about the German manufacturers, particularly VW, they often launch cars which nobody can get their… [more]

Motor Industry News

Americans holding on to their cars longer

January 26, 2012 By MTI Leave a Comment

Americans are holding onto cars longer, pushing the average age of a vehicle on the country's road to a record 11 years. The average age of a car last July was 11.1 years, … [Read More...]

UK car production up 1.6% in December and 5.8% in 2011

January 20, 2012 By MTI Leave a Comment

Car production in the UK rose by 5.8% in 2011, industry figures show. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said manufacturing had ended the year with a … [Read More...]

Mini recalls 235,000 cars worldwide due to a pump fault

January 16, 2012 By MTI Leave a Comment

Mini is recalling 235,000 vehicles worldwide - 29,868 cars in the UK - due to a fault with an electric water pump. The fault, which could potentially be a fire risk, is … [Read More...]