Car Buying Guide
The onset of British Summertime has coincided with the change in popularity of what sells and what sticks. 4wd vehicles are not fetching the premium they were a short while ago and, with a run of sunshine, cabs are making their seasonal comeback, seeing prices starting to harden. MPV’s will soon also start to have their say and flex their … [Read more...]
The Ford Fiesta overtook the Vauxhall Corsa to become the nation’s favourite used car in 2010, according to new analysis from Experian, the global information services company. 285,962 used Fiesta’s were sold in the UK last year while the Vauxhall Corsa – the front runner in 2009 – sold 278,169 units in 2010. The only other change … [Read more...]
With the new Panamera Turbo S, Porsche is raising the bar for sporting four-door luxury cars. The new addition to the Gran Turismo range offers a unique combination of performance and efficiency, driving dynamics and comfort. The 4.8-litre, V8 twin-turbocharged engine delivers 550 hp (410 kW), an increase of ten per cent or 50 hp (37 kW) more than … [Read more...]
More than half of all visits to UK dealer websites take place outside traditional showroom opening hours, yet the vast majority of dealers aren’t equipped to provide an immediate response to any of the resulting sales enquiries from potential customers. According to new research from the UK’s leading automotive web marketing firm, GForces, … [Read more...]
When the credit crunch first affected car sales back in mid to late 2008 dealers quickly became aware that not only were profits under severe pressure but that over production over many years meant we were face with scenes of air fields full of cars and huge tankers circling Europe unable to unload even more unwanted vehicles. Fast forward to … [Read more...]
Factory closures in Japan caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami has led to a shortage of vehicle parts which could cut global output by 600,000 vehicles by the end of the month, according to industry analysts. With Japanese car manufacturers uncertain about when their plants will resume full production, this figure is likely to … [Read more...]
It is interesting to note that cars being bought on finance have seen year on year rises in January of 6% on new cars and 20% on used. On the face of it this statistic looks encouraging, and in many ways it is, but many dealers will be scratching their heads on discovering these stats because many are having increasing numbers of customers being … [Read more...]
Against market expectations, 6% more new cars and 20% more used cars were sold on finance in January than the year before, according to new statistics from the Finance & Leasing Association, the trade body for the motor finance industry. Many dealers were offering low and zero percent finance deals on cars in January, helping people to buy new … [Read more...]
The modern car salesperson has much more profit making weaponry in his arsenal than just selling a car. The list of add-on’s for car buyers continues to grow and in many cases will be the deciding factor on whether a deal is done or not. In the past a car was marked up or published in a price list and apart from the funding options it was all … [Read more...]
The carbon emissions of new cars issued in the UK fell 3.5% in 2010 compared to the previous year. Figures from the 10th annual New Car CO2 Report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that the average car emissions are now 144.2 g/km of CO2. Over the last 10 years, car emissions have dropped by more than 20% while … [Read more...]
Trade used car guide Glass’s is reporting increasing demand for cars with low running costs as consumers adjust to the rising cost of fuel and insurance. In editorial for the April edition Glass’s Guide managing editor Adrian Rushmore said buyers were opting for lower powered cars in the lower medium sector and downsizing in the executive … [Read more...]
According to an article on the Car Dealer Magazine website a source has been quoted as saying that Ford are planning to join the long warranty bandwagon and offer 5 year warranties on all their cars. According to Car Dealer Magazine the source said: ‘I’ve been told by someone in the Ford hierarchy that this is a move they plan to make. As … [Read more...]
From the 21st March hard-pressed families have the chance to bypass the crippling cost of filling a tank with the launch of the world’s first affordable, mass produced 100% electric car. The Nissan LEAF, which goes on sale across the UK from the 21st March, promises to turn back the clock thirty years to an era when the cost of fuel was six … [Read more...]
Women who work in car dealerships are playing an increasingly important role in attracting new customers simply because they offer an alternative to the traditional cliché of a “car salesman”. Although car showrooms are still on the whole very much male dominated it has to be acknowledged that women are far more likely these days to be … [Read more...]
Lead times on many new cars are not getting any shorter and are proving to be very frustrating for many franchised car dealers and their customers. As a result managing buyer expectations is taking on a whole new meaning. In the past a factory order of any sort, even where there may have been several options ordered, was rarely more than 3 … [Read more...]
The sad demise of Autoquake demonstrates how difficult car retailing is and that having specialist used car experience and skill is clearly a pre-requisite for the job. Although it is inevitable that cars will in some shape or form eventually be sold purely on line, it is still a long way from being the silver bullet some people think it is, simply … [Read more...]
Online car retailer Autoquake has gone into administration with MCR having been appointed administrators as of March 17. MCR are trying to find parties interested in purchasing assets of the company, which has so far refused to comment. Autoquake was launched in 2005 and has customer hand over centres in London and Leeds. In march last year … [Read more...]
UK car production rose 15.1% in February from a year ago, as export-led growth continued. There was also a 10.2% rise in engine output, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said there had been a 27% increase in exports, which "highlights the strength and … [Read more...]
After years of playing second fiddle to the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Corsa in February the VW Golf finally out sold its two rivals, shifting 2,709 units in the month. I spoke to my mates down at VW and they can’t really put their finger on one specific reason, but it certainly felt, from their point of view, that supply has been pretty good. One … [Read more...]
With Japanese car manufacturers closing their factories following the earthquake and tsunami, has led to the value of shares in Japanese automotive companies tumbling as investors started selling up. Initially, many of the investors purchased shares in car manufacturers based elsewhere in the world instead - based on the logic that non-Japanese … [Read more...]
Renault has apologised to three executives it sacked over spying allegations after French prosecutors found no evidence against them. The three were sacked in January amid claims they were involved in passing Renault secrets to a third party. Police were investigating alleged Swiss bank accounts linked to the executives. The affair has … [Read more...]
As customers, especially when money is too tight to mention, we become just a little bit more demanding. I am finding myself when at a checkout or in a restaurant being a lot less patient with staff in these kind of establishments as I feel they should all be working harder to ensure that I come back. I am a little bit old school in that way in … [Read more...]
I think I can speak from personal experience when I say Ford have certainly come along way. My first car was a mark II 1.3 Escort and I drove myself to the airport today in my wife’s 2002 mark IV Fiesta Freestyle and obviously the latest generation of Ford’s knock spots of their predecessors. My destination was Glasgow where the good people … [Read more...]
Despite a recent decline there are still well over 31 million cars on the UK’s roads today despite the recession (depression, downturn, austerity measures etc) rising fuel prices and soaring maintenance costs. The Public transport system, despite massive investment and in fairness much improvement, citizens are still opting for owning and renting … [Read more...]
The Land Rover Freelander is a compact crossover SUV or "lifestyle 4WD" made by Jaguar Land Rover which is owned by India's Tata Motors. The latest version (launched in 2006) is the Freelander 2. "No other compact 4x4 has anything like its total breadth of capability," said Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director at the Freelander 2 launch … [Read more...]
We are always looking for experienced writers who can write good original quality posts on motor-trade-insider.com.
Please contact us if you would like us to consider you. Make sure you give us details of your own blog or a link to some articles you have written.
Copyright Motor Trade Insider © 2012 Press enquiries - Tel 0208 3286 2309 Affordable Web Design
